Social Learning Theory

Question 1

Who developed the approach?

Answer 1

Albert Bandura

Question 2

When?

Answer 2

1961

Question 3

What study was it developed through?

Answer 3

The Bobo Doll Studies

Question 4

How was it developed from behaviourism?

Answer 4

Bandura agreed behaviour was learnt from experience but propsed humans learn specifically through the observation and imitation of others.

Question 5

What is observation and imitation?

Answer 5

It is watching how others behave and copying it

Question 6

What are cognitive factors?

Answer 6

They mediate in the learning process to determine whether a new response is acquired.

Question 7

Mediational processes in learning example

Answer 7

observed stimulus - 4 mediational process- resulting behaviour

Question 8

what are the 4 mediational processes?

Answer 8

attention, retention (learning of behaviour) and motor reproduction and motivation (performance of behaviour)

Question 9

what is attention?

Answer 9

the process by which we focus on a particular source of information rather than others)

Question 10

What is retention ?

Answer 10

the ability to remember information

Question 11

what is motor reproduction?

Answer 11

the ability of the observer to perform the behaviour

Question 12

what is motivation?

Answer 12

the will or desire to perform the behaviour often due to the consequenes of the behaviour; whether the model was punished or rewarded

Question 13

what is identification?

Answer 13

humans are more likely to pay attention to and remember a behaviour if they identify with the person doing it, who is called a model

Question 14

what is modelling?

Answer 14

modelling is the behaviour of the role model and also the process of imitating the model

Question 15

what characteristrics influence our attention?

Answer 15

models of high status, attractive, competent or ones that remind us of ourselves

Question 16

what is motivation determined by?

Answer 16

consequences of the behaviour; if the model was punished or rewarded

Question 17

what is indirect learning?

Answer 17

when we learn by seeing someone ELSE be rewarded or punished rather than facing these consequences ourselves

Question 18

what is vicarious reinforcement/punishment?

Answer 18

if we see the model be rewarded for their behaviour, we will imitate. if they are punished, we will lose the motivation to do so

Question 19

what were the original Bobo Doll Studies?

Answer 19

bandura recorded behaviour of children aged 3-6 who either watched an adult attack a bobo doll or play with it peacefully. children exposed to the more aggressive model imitated the behaviour.

Question 20

how were the children grouped?

Answer 20

a matched pairs design was used in which children were matched on how aggressive they were on a rating scale

Question 21

later study?

Answer 21

group1- adults praised for behaviour
group2- adults punished
control grp- saw adults experience no consequence

Question 22

strength of SLT?

Answer 22

supporting research from bobo doll studies. the young chidlren exposed to an adult displaying aggressive behaviour did imitate it.
a strength as it proves the accuracy- we do imitate behaviour

Question 23

limitation of SLT?

Answer 23

lab study- artificial. not how we behave in real life. weakness because it reduces external validity.