social learning theory

Question 1

Who was Social Learning Theory proposed by?

Answer 1

Bandura

Question 2

What are the assumptions of SLT?

Answer 2

• There are cognitive factors between stimulus-response
• People have free-will
• Learning occurs through observation of models, and can take place without direct reinforcement

Question 3

What does MIRRORVID stand for?

Answer 3

M- Modelling
I- Identification
R- Reinforcement
R- Response acquisition
O- Observational Learning
R- Recall
V- Vicarious Learning
I- Imitation
D- Determined by environment

Question 4

Modelling

Answer 4

Both the process of imitating the model and the model exhibiting behaviour. Can be symbolic (celebrities, characters) or live (parents, teachers, etc)

Question 5

Identification

Answer 5

People are more likely to imitate behaviour if they relate to the model

Question 6

Reinforcement

Answer 6

Consequence that increases the likelihood of the behaviour repeating. Can be vicarious meaning that you can be reinforced by watching others be reinforced

Question 7

Response acquisition

Answer 7

Behaviour must be new and original to be learned.

Question 8

Observational Learning

Answer 8

Learning through watching models

Question 9

Recall

Answer 9

To remember the observed behaviour somewhere else

Question 10

Vicarious Learning

Answer 10

Learning through observing others/ indirect learning

Question 11

Imitation

Answer 11

Copying the behaviour of models

Question 12

Determined by environment

Answer 12

Behaviour is influenced by environment not biological

Question 13

What are the mediational processes?

Answer 13

A- Attention- noticing the behaviour
R- Retention- remembering the behaviour
R- Reproduction- has to be physically possible to do the behaviour
M- Motivation- there has to be a reason to want to copy the model

Question 14

What is research support for Social Learning Theory?

Answer 14

-Bandura’s Bobo Doll experiment

Question 15

Explain the Procedures for Bandura’s Bobo Doll Experiment?

Answer 15

-Bandura’s Bobo Doll experiment
-Bandura recorded the behaviour of young children who had watched an adult be aggressive towards the doll
- The doll was hit with hammers and had abuse shouted it
-He compared this with the behaviour of children who had not witnessed an adult be aggressive towards the doll
-He found that those that had aggressive behaviour were far more likely to be aggressive with the doll than those that hadn’t

Question 16

What are the strengths of SLT?

Answer 16

• research support
  -considered the role of cognitive factors

Question 17

SLT Limitations?

Answer 17

-ignores role of biological factors
-counterpoint for research support

Question 18

Explain the strength of SLT that it considered the role of cognitive factors

Answer 18

-SLT acknowledges the role of mediation which suggests that to learn, we must pay attention to the behaviour, we must retain it/ remember it, reproduce it, and have the right motivation to do so.
-This suggests that humans have free will and that humans weigh up the ‘pros and cons’ of an action before imitating the behaviour.
-Therefore, SLT provides a more detailed explanation of behaviour in comparison to classical and operant conditioning, because rather than learning being a result of a stimulus response, SLT considers that we have free will and analyse behaviour before copying it.

Question 19

Explain the counterpoint for the research support for Social Learning Theory

Answer 19

-Bobo Doll experiment lacks internal validity
-Demand characteristics may have been shown
-This is due to the fact that the Bobo Doll was meant to be played with aggressively
-This means that a strong direct cause and effect link cannot be established, because children may have acted aggressively to the doll because that was how it was meant to be played with, rather than because they were imitating adults.

Question 20

Explain the limitation of SLT that it ignores biological factors

Answer 20

-For example Bandura’s research consistently found that boys displayed more aggression than girls
-This cannot be explained by SLT alone.
-This could be explained by boys having an increased level of testosterone, which is not considered by Bandura.
-It could also be explained by mirror neurons in the brain, which allow us to empathise with and imitate others.
-This suggests that biological influences on learning were under-emphasised in the approach