Social Learning Theory Flashcards
SLT assumptions
-focused on scientific methods of studying human behaviour
-Bandura agreed with behaviourists that much of our behaviour is learned from experience however learn through observations and imitations of others also
-so learning occurs directly (classical and operant conditioning) and indirectly
What is vicarious reinforcement
-imitation of the behaviour of others that the observer sees to be rewarded (reinforced) by others, behaviour is not directly experienced
What are mediational processes
Mental factors that mediate(intervene) in learning process to determine whether a new response in acquired
Four mediational processes identified by bandura
-attention(extent to which we notice certain behaviours)
-retention(how well behaviour is remembered)
-motor reproduction(ability of observer to perform the behaviour)
-motivation(will to perform the behaviour-determined by whether it is rewarded or punished)
What is identification
When an observer associates themselves with a role model and wants to be like them, means observer is more likely to imitate them
When does someone become a role model
-if they are seen to possess similar characteristics to observer/are attractive/have high status
Outline Bandura Bobo doll experiment
Bandura recorded the behaviour of children who watched adults behave aggressively towards bobo doll, found that children behaved more aggressively towards doll than those that observed non-aggressive adult
Expand on advantage that SLT provides more comprehensive explanation of human behaviour
-neither operant nor classical conditioning can offer adequate account of learning on their own-humans and animals store info about behaviour of others and use this to make judgements about when it is appropriate to perform certain actions
-recognises mediational processes-takes into account all factors influencing behaviour
Expand on limitation that the approach draws on lab studies for evidence
-observations of children’s behaviour in lab=demand characteristics
-main purpose of bobo doll is to strike it meaning children may have been behaving in a way they thought was expected
-research may have little real world application for how children learn about aggression
Expand on limitation that the approach underestimates biological factors
-consistent finding in bobo doll experiments regardless of experimental situation was that boys were more aggressive than girls
-may mean hormonal factors such as higher testosterone levels linked to more aggressive behaviour
-this important influence on behaviour is not accounted for in SLT, may not apply to all behaviour
