social learning theory

Question 1

what is the social learning theory?

Answer 1

this theory suggests that we can learn directly and indirectly by observing and imitating others

Question 2

what did Bandura disagree about in the behaviourist approach?

Answer 2

he did agree that our behaviour is learned through experience however he thought that people learned through observation and imitation of others.

Question 3

what is vicarious reinforcement?

Answer 3

this is reinforcement that is not directly experienced but occurs through observing the behaviours of others.
if the behaviour is rewarded/reinforced, vicarious reinforcement occurs and the behaviour is more likely to be imitated

Question 4

what is vicarious punishment?

Answer 4

if you see someone get punished for a certain behaviour, you are less likely to imitate that behaviour

Question 5

what are the role of the mediational processes?

Answer 5

the SLT focuses on the cognitive factors are involved in learning
these meditational processes intervene in the learning process to determine wether a new response occurs

Question 6

what are the 4 meditational processes?

Answer 6

attention
retention
motor reproduction
motivation

Question 7

what is the meditational process ‘attention’?

Answer 7

when the behaviour must be first noticed

Question 8

what is the meditational process ‘retention’?

Answer 8

when the behaviour must be remembered?

Question 9

what is the meditational process ‘motor reproduction’?

Answer 9

when the individual must be able to perform the behaviour

Question 10

what is the mediational process ‘motivation’?

Answer 10

when the individual must want to perform the behaviour

Question 11

what is identification?

Answer 11

this is when an observer associates themselves with a role model and wants to be like the role model.
people are much more likely to imitate the behaviour of someone they identify with as a role-model

Question 12

what is modelling from an observers perspective?

Answer 12

when they observe the behaviour of a role model

Question 13

what is modelling from the role models perspective?

Answer 13

when they complete a precise demonstration of a specific behaviour that may be imitated by an observer

Question 14

how does someone become a role model?

Answer 14

if the have similar: characteristics, are attractive, have high status

Question 15

AO3: how is ‘real life application’ a strength into the social learning theory?

Answer 15

social learning theory can be applied in schools as children tend to look up to and mimic the behaviours of teachers and older children as they see them as role models. this means that we can account for how children learn from other individuals but also from the media. this therefore can be a starting point for promoting more pro-social behaviours in different contexts.

Question 16

AO3: how is ‘it is oversimplisitic’ a limitation into the social learning theory?

Answer 16

although the social learning theory now accounts for the cognitive influence on our behaviours, they do not account for how biological factors influence our behaviour. there is evidence to suggest that many elements of our behaviour e.g. mental health, aggression, gender all have biological components to them. therefore, this means that the explanation to human behaviour isn’t complete

Question 17

AO3: how is ‘nature of the evidence in which the social learning theory is based’ a limitation to the social learning theory?

Answer 17

many of Banduras ideas were developed through observing children’s behaviour in lab settings. one limitation to lab settings is that they are very aritifical and lack ecological validity. because of this, the people may have responded to demand characteristics. in the Bobo doll study, the children may have simply behaved in a way they thought was expected from them. this reduces the validity of the research as tells us very little about how children learn aggression in every day life. this therefore undermines key aspects of the social learning theory

Question 18

what was Banduras Bobo doll experiments?

Answer 18

bandora got groups of children to observe their role models either in person or on video violently beat up a bobo doll, and then left them in that same room with the doll to see what they would do. all the children (both who watched in person and on video) imitated the adults and violently beat up the doll.