Social learning theory Flashcards
What is social learning theory?
Learning through observing others and imitating behaviours that are rewarded.
What is the importance of identification in social learning?
The extent to which an individual relates to a model - feels similar to that person. Suggests whether they would experience the same outcomes in a situation. More identification increases likelihood of imitation.
What is vicarious reinforcement?
Learning (adjusting behaviour) through the observation of behaviour being reinforced.
What are the meditational processes?
Attention
Retention
Reproduction (ability to reproduce behaviour)
Motivation
How do the meditational processes determine whether an observed behaviour will be repeated?
If all meditational processes take place and the perceived positive consequences outweighs negative, observed behaviour very likely to be repeated.
Who studied and developed social learning theory?
Albert Bandura.
How did Bandura investigate social learning theory?
2 groups children. Half exposed to adults acting aggressively towards Bobo doll, half non-aggressive models. Aggressive = hitting with mallet and saying POW! All children then shown attractive toys they cannon play with. Put in room with other toys + Bobo doll and observed.
What did Bandura find in his Bobo doll study?
Aggressive modelling was imitated. Non-aggressive modelling produced virtually no aggressive behaviour. Boys more likely to be aggressive. More likely to imitate same sex model. Follow-up: model rewarded for aggressive acts more likely to produce highly aggressive behaviour towards doll in children.
(AO3) How can social learning theory be usefully applied in society?
Crime more likely when crime was modelled by someone perpetrator identified with. Violence more likely in environment where it is modelled and rewarded. Application to childcare - censoring media consumption of children to avoid violent role-models.
(AO3) Describe the issue of causality as a weakness of SLT applied to crime and violence.
Correlation between deviant role models and crime rates in individuals is not causality. Deviant young people (e.g. low self-control) more likely to seek out similar peers. Therefore delinquency may be due to predisposition factors rather than social learning.
(AO3) Describe issues of environmental reductionism in social learning theory.
Overly reductionist. Cannot describe behaviours only through SLT. E.g. gender development not just gender-modelling. Influences of gender predispositions, media influences, locus of control that interact in complex ways to determine behaviour. So SLT useful, but cannot be used alone.
(AO3) Describe an issue impacting internal validity of Bandura’s Bobo doll study.
Demand characteristics. May have been easy to guess. Children may feel obliged to copy behaviour but not done so in real life. However this was reduced by using independent groups design. Overall = less internal validity.
