Social Learning Theory Flashcards
What is social learning theory
It is the theory that behaviour is learnt through both direct and indirect reinforcements with the role of cognitive factors
Who created the social learning theory
Albert Bandura
Did bandura agree with behaviourists
Yes but there was still a difference
What was the difference in what bandura thought and what the behaviourists thought
His theory produced a different approach in how people learn, which is through the observation and imitation of others
Define vicarious reinforcement
Reinforcement which is not directly experienced but occurs through observing someone else being reinforced for a behaviour and this is a key elements of imitation.
What is imitation
Coping the behaviour of others
What are mediational processes
They are cognitive factors that influence learning and come between stimulus and responses
What are the 4 mediational processes
Attention, retention, Motor reproduction and motivation
What is attention
When the participant notices something
What is retention
How well the behaviour is remembered
What is motor reproduction
The ability of the observer to perform the behaviour
What is motivation
The will to perform the behaviour, which is often determined by if there is a reward or not
What do attentions and retention represent
The learning of behaviour
What do motor reproduction and motivation represent
The performance of the behaviour
What is identification
When an observer associates themselves with a role model and wants to be like them
What is a role model
Someone you look up to, has similar characteristics, has good qualities
What is modelling
The process of imitating a role model
What was Bandura first experiment
Where he recorded how children, who watched adults behave in an aggressive way towards Bodo Dolls, would react if the same situation was presented to them
What was seen from Banduras first experiment
That children who witnessed aggressive behaviour, would imitate that behaviour onto the toys
Who was the other person who conducted the 2nd study with bandura
Walter
What was the Bandura and Walter experiment
showed videos to children where an adult behaved aggressivly towards the Bobo doll. One group of children saw the adult praised for their behaviour. A second group saw the adult punished for their aggression towards the doll,by being told of. The third group (control goup) saw the aggression without any consequnce.
what is the 1st strength of SLT
P- recognises the importance of cognitive factors in learning
E-Neither classical or operant conditioning can offer adequate account of learning on their own
E- Humans and animal store information about the behaviour of others and use this to make judgments about when it is appropriate to perform certain actions.
L- provides a more comprehensive explanation of human learning by recognising the role of mediational processes
what is the counterpoint of the 1st strength
P- critisised for the lack of reference on biological factors on social learning
E-although he claimed natural biological differenced had an influence, he though learning itself was determined by the enviroment
E- recent researches show that this may be a result of mirror neaurons in the brain which allows us to emphasis with and imitate other
L- biological factors where ubder-emphasisted
what is the 2nd strength
P - SLT principles have been applied to a range of real world behaviours
E- SLT has the advantage of being able to explain cultural differences in behaviour. The principles such as modelling, imitation and reinforcement account for how children learn from
others around them including the media.
E- This is useful in understanding a range of behaviours, such as how children come to understand their gender role
L- This increases the value of the approach as it can account for real world behaviour
