social learning theory Flashcards
what is operant conditioning in aggression?
Involves positive and negative reinforcement and punishment
what is positive reinforcement in aggression?
When a positive behaviour is rewarded instead of punished so they will continue to display this behaviour
what is negative reinforcement in aggression?
When a negative behaviour is punished with consequences so that the behaviour is not repeated
what did Bandura say about aggression?
Bandura acknowledged that aggression can be learned directly through OPERANT CONDITIONING, involving POSITIVE and NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT and PUNISHMENT.
However, he argued that an indirect mechanism - observational learning - accounts for social learning of most aggressive behaviours.
what is vicarious reinforcment in aggression?
a child is more likely to imitate aggressive behaviour if they see a model being rewarded for that behaviour
what is vicarious punishment in aggression?
If a child observes a behaviour by a model being punished they are less likely to act out the same behaviour
what is modelling in aggression?
Children learn aggressive behaviours through observing aggressive models. live models such as parents or symbolic models such as characters in the media. This allows them to work out how the aggressive behaviours are performed.
what is identification in aggression?
aggressive role model. This is when an observer wants to be like the role model due to, for example, being the same sex / status.
what are the 4 meditational cognitive processes?
- attention
- retention = remembering behaviour
- reproduction = physically capable of performing behaviour
- motivation = will to perform behaviour often determined by whether it was rewarded or punished
what is self efficacy?
This is the extent to which we believe our actions will achieve a desired goal. When they learn aggression can be rewarded they will be confident and continue to express aggression
describe bandoras bobo doll study?
Young children observed as adults assaulted an inflatable plastic toy e.g throwing kicking punching and verbal outburst. Without being instructed many children imitated the behaviour physically and verbally.
evaluation: strength
Poulin and Colvin supporting evidence
poulin and boivin applied a social learning analysis to aggressive behaviour in boys aged between 9 and 12 = found that most aggressive boys formed friendships with other aggressive boys.
The boys used their alliance to gain resources through aggressive behaviour. They also gained reinforcement from rewarding approval of the rest of the gang .
(predict aggressive behaviour occurring)
evaluation: weakness
cannot explain all aggression
two broad categories of aggression : reactive (angry) and proactive (calculated). Children experiences in using proactive aggression have high levels of self efficacy = using aggression as a way to achieve their goals
reactive aggressive children use aggression to retaliate in the heat of the moment = use aggression for retribution.
(less explicable)
evaluation: strength
non aggressive models and practical applications
the theory argues that people are not passive recipients of reinforcement but active influencers of their environments. People shape thier own aggressive behaviour by selecting and creating their own surroundings.
how can we reduce aggression?
one way to reduce aggression is to break the cycle in which individuals become yet more aggressive by choosing situations which reward their behaviour.
( encourages children to form friendships with children)
