Social Learning Theory

Question 1

What are the assumptions of the SLT?

Answer 1

• Behaviour can be learnt from the environment
• Behaviour can be learnt from observing and imitating the behaviour of role models (e.g parents, peers, celebrities)

Question 2

What does the theory of modelling state?

Answer 2

People are more likely to imitate the behaviour of those they percieve to be role models.

Question 3

What happens when a role model demonstrates behaviour?

Answer 3

Role model demonstrates behaviour -> behaviour is observed -> behaviour is imitated (modelling)

Question 4

What is a role model?

Answer 4

A person who can demonstrate behaviour which can be observed by others,

Question 5

What is the theory of identification?

Answer 5

People (especially children) are more likely to imitate the behaviour of people they identify with (role models)

Question 6

People are more likely to imitate role models if they:

Answer 6

• Possesses similar characteristics to us, e.g age, gender, ethnicity
• Seen to be attractive or have a high status

Question 7

VICARIOUS REINFORCEMENT

Answer 7

Indirect reinforcement that happens through observing the behaviour of others.

Question 8

If the role model is reinforced for their behaviour →

Answer 8

The observer is more likely to imitate them in order to get the same reward too

Question 9

If the role model is punished for their behaviour →

Answer 9

The observer is less likely to imitate in order to avoid the same punishment

Question 10

Cognitive mediational processes

Answer 10

Mental processes that occur between the model displaying a behaviour and the imitation of the observer and occurs in a linear sequence

Question 11

According to Bandura, the four Cognitive mediational processes:

Answer 11

Attention → Retention → Reproduction → Motivation

Question 12

ATTENTION:

Answer 12

When we SEE a NEW behaviour, we need to PAY ATTENTION to it first.

Question 13

RETENTION:

Answer 13

When we form a MENTAL REPRESENTATION of the behaviour we attended to (could also be accessing an existing representation)

Question 14

REPRODUCTION:

Answer 14

When we ASCERTAIN if we have the CAPACITY to PHYSICALLY REPRODUCE the behaviour OURSELVES.

Question 15

MOTIVATION:

Answer 15

A DRIVE to RECREATE an OBSERVED BEHAVIOUR. IF we are driven, we are more likely to REPRODUCE the behaviour (vicarious reinforcement can also contribute to this)

Question 16

Aim of Bandura’s Bobo Doll study:

Answer 16

To see if role models can influence behaviour even when no longer present

Question 17

Bandura’s Bobo Doll study Method:

Answer 17

• Bandura studied 72 children, aged between 3 and 6, (the mean age average was 4 years),
• Children observed an adult model behaving either AGGRESSIVELY OR NON-AGGRESSIVELY toward an inflatable doll known as a Bobo-doll.
• Some children were watching a SAME-SEX ROLE MODEL
• Other cases they were watching an OPPOSITE SEX-ROLE MODEL playing with the bobo-doll.
• Participants then had a delay before being allowed to go into a room with both aggressive and non-aggressive toys such as the Bobo doll, toy guns and farm sets.
• The children were observed for 20 minutes
• Their behaviour was rated on a scale for aggression by multiple observers.

Question 18

Bandura’s Bobo Doll study Findings:

Answer 18

• The children who witnessed RM AGGRESSIVE towards the Bobo doll more likely to be aggressive towards the doll
• Gender differences as BOYS displayed MORE PHYSICAL AGGRESSION and GIRLS displayed MORE VERBAL AGGRESSION.
• The level of imitation was also greater for the same sex role models rather than the opposite sex models.

Question 19

Conclusion of Bandura’s Bobo Doll study

Answer 19

• Imitation can be seen even after a delay from the learning
• The level of imitation is affected by the role model’s characteristics and the level of similarity between the observer and role model.

Question 20

A strength of the Social Learning Theory (SLT) is that it is holistic and acknowledges mental processing.

Answer 20

• combination of learning from the environment and cognitions and is therefore not reductionist like traditional behaviourism
• individuals are believed to have free will over their own behaviour - less deterministic than the behaviourist approach which claims that human behaviour is purely due to environmental factors which are out of our control.
• Strength because it provides a broader and more positive outlook on behaviour

Question 21

Traditional behaviourism

Answer 21

focuses on the influence of our environment.

Question 22

Another strength of the SLT is that there are practical applications.

Answer 22

• sport coaches use concepts such as OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING by DEMONSTRATING DESIRED BEHAVIOUR which they would like their students to IMITATE and LEARN.
• sport coaches use vicarious reinforcement by rewarding pupils who show the right technique to ensure that others OBSERVE and IMITATE the behaviour in order to gain the same reward.
• strength because instead of being purely theoretical, SLT is applied to EVERYDAY LIFE to train people and make their lives better. Therefore, the principles of SLT are VALUABLE as they contribute to helping society.

Question 23

Another strength of the SLT is that it is supported by research.

Answer 23

• Bandura found that children are more likely to demonstrate aggression if they observe a role model that has demonstrated aggressive behaviour. Bandura also found that children were more likely to imitate the same-sex role models.
  This supports the SLT as it shows how behaviour is observed by paying attention to role models which leads the observer to learn and imitate that behaviour. Behaviour such as aggression is learnt by observing a behaviour that is attended to and reproduced via modelling.
  This supports the concept of identification as it shows that imitation is more likely when there are shared characteristics (e.g gender)
  Therefore Bandura’s findings increase validity of the SLT as an explanation of how people acquire behaviour.

Question 24

A weakness of the SLT is that it has a limited explanatory scope.

Answer 24

People who develop schizophrenia display behaviours not previously observed in other people (e.g auditory hallucinations). This suggests that observation and imitation is not the only explanation for how people learn behaviour.
Other factors like genes and neurotransmitters are also not accounted for.
- SLT can be criticised as a limited explanation for non-observable behaviour.
Weakens its generalised ability to the development of all behaviours.