social learning theory Flashcards

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1
Q

main figure in social learning theory:

A

bandura

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2
Q

what did bandura propose the social learning theory as?

A

a development of the behaviourist approach

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3
Q

which part of the behaviourist approach does the social learning theory attempt to address and how?

A

the extent to which we are truly free to make choices:
-suggests that there are crucial cognitive processes that occur in between the stimulus & response
-our actions are not pure conditioned
S-R links but involve an element of decision and choice too

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4
Q

the main assumptions of the SLT

A

1) behaviour is learned through observation and imitation of others

2) emphasises the importance of environment and reinforcement in
learning, but acknowledges the important role that mental processes play in interpreting the environment and planning new actions

3) suggests that learning occurs directly & indirectly

4) the scientific method (mainly lab experiments and controlled observations) to study people

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5
Q

imitation

A

when an individual observes a behaviour and copies it

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6
Q

identification

A

when an observer associates themselves with a role model, the role model possesses qualities they see as being rewarding

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7
Q

vicarious reinforcement

A

-used to describe the reinforcement the observer sees the model receiving
-they do not receive the reward themselves
-when it is vicarious, the person learns by observing the consequences of another person’s behaviour

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8
Q

modelling

A

copying the behaviour of a role model

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9
Q

role model

A

someone who is influential on an individual in some way / similar characteristics to the observer and/or are attractive and have high status

(mustn’t be physically present)

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10
Q

what are mediational processes?

A

mental (cognitive) factors that intervene in the learning process to determine whether a new behaviour is learnt or not

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11
Q

what do mediational processes occur between?

A

between observing the behaviour (stimulus) and imitating it or not (response)

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12
Q

mediational processes in order

A

1) attention factors
2) retention factors
3) reproduction factors
4) motivation factors

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13
Q

attention

A

the individual needs to notice the
behaviour & its consequences
(e.g., if it was entertaining, humorous)

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14
Q

retention

A

how well the behaviour is remembered , imitation is not always immediate

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15
Q

motor reproduction

A

the ability of the observer to perform the
behaviour, they must have the ability
and/or skill to imitate the observed
behaviour

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16
Q

motivation

A

the desire to perform the behaviour –
often influenced by whether it was seen to be rewarded

17
Q

which mediational processes are linked with the learning of a behaviour?

A

attention and retention

18
Q

which mediational processes are linked with the performance of a behaviour?

A

reproduction and motivation

19
Q

bandura’s research: which toy was used?

A

bobo doll

20
Q

bandura’s research: which two ways could the adults act towards the doll?

A

aggressively or non aggressively

21
Q

bandura’s research: which three consequences can the adult get?

A

rewarded, punished or no consequence

22
Q

bandura’s research: results

A

-children who saw the aggressive model produced more aggressive acts than those in either of the other two groups
-boys imitated same-sex models more than girls
-girls imitated more physical aggression if they saw male models, and more verbal aggression if they saw female models

23
Q

bandura’s research: conclusion

A

aggressive behaviour can be learned, in children, through observation and imitation of a model. this is more likely if such a behaviour is seen to be rewarded

24
Q

ao3 / strength - takes thought processes into account

A

P - approach takes thought processes into account and acknowledges
the role that they play in deciding if a behaviour is to be imitated or not

E - neither CC or OC can offer a full explanation ofhuman learning because they do not include cognitive factors / humans store information and decide when it is appropriate to perform a behvaiour, SLT recognises that more learning takes place than is represented in the behaviour that they perform

L - the SLT approach provides a more
complete explanation of human behaviour than the behaviourist approach

25
Q

ao3 / limitation - relies heavily on
controlled lab studies

A

S - A limitation is that SLT relies heavily on controlled lab studies

E - whilst these are scientific and give the approach scientific credibility, lab studies are often criticised for their artificial nature where participants may
respond to demand characteristics /
many of bandura’s ideas were developed through observations of children’s behaviour in lab settings, the main purpose of the bono doll is to strike it, so the children were simply behaving in a way that they thought was expected

L - therefore, the research may tell us little about how children actually learn aggression in everyday life

26
Q

ao3 / limitation - little reference to biological factors

A

P - bandura makes little reference
to the impact of biological factors on social learning

E - one consistent finding in the Bobo doll experiments was that boys were often more aggressive than girls, this may be explained by hormonal factors such as differences in levels of testosterone, a hormone
which is present in greater quantities in boys than girls and which is linked to aggressive behaviour / SLT sees behaviour as environmentally determined whereas some behaviours may be innate/biological

L - a weakness as it means that this important influence on behaviour is not accounted for in SLT

27
Q

bobo doll experiment steps

A

3 videos:
-model rewarded for punching bobo
-model punished for punching bobo
-control = no consequence

-those who saw punishment were less likely to be agressive