social learning theory

Question 1

what is the social learning theory?

Answer 1

a way of explaining behaviour that includes both direct and indirect reinforcement, combining learning theory with the role of cognitive factors

Question 2

what are the key assumptions of social learning theory?

Answer 2

• people learn through observation and imitation not just through conditioning
  -role models are key and have an important influence on behaviour
  -some mediational processes are involved between stimulus and response
  -learning can occur through indirect (vicarious) reinforcement

Question 3

what is imitation?

Answer 3

copying behaviour of others

Question 4

what is modelling?

Answer 4

observing and imitating another person (the model)

Question 5

what is identification?

Answer 5

when an observer associates themselves with a role model and wants to be like the role model

Question 6

what are some factors for the process of identification of a role model?

Answer 6

-close contact
-similarities (gender, interests, culture)
-desirable characteristics

Question 7

what makes you more likely to imitate someones behaviour?

Answer 7

if you identify with that person

Question 8

what is vicarious reinforcement?

Answer 8

reinforcement which is not directly experienced but occurs through observing someone else being reinforced in behaviour

Question 9

what are mediational processes?

Answer 9

cognitive factors (i.e. thinking) that influence learning and come between stimulus and response.

Question 10

what are the 4 mediational processes?

Answer 10

1. Attention
2. Retention
3. Motor reproduction
4. Motivation

Question 11

what is the order of the Bandura experiments?

Answer 11

1. Bandura, Ross and Ross (1961)
2. Bandura and Walters (1963)

Question 12

what participants did Bandura et al use in the experiment?

Answer 12

72 children
36 boys 36 girls
age 3-6

Question 13

what were the three conditions of the Bandura et al study?

Answer 13

1. one group shown video where the adult model acted aggressively with the Bobo doll
2. one group shown video where the adult model ignored the Bobo doll and played nicely with other toys
3. one group not shown any video of an adult model (control group)

Question 14

how was a matched pairs design used in the Bandura et al experiment?

Answer 14

pre-testing was carried out to measure the natural aggressiveness of the children. They were put in groups of 3 based on similar aggressiveness and split into 3 groups

Question 15

what did the researchers do to the children in the Bandura et all study after they watched the video?

Answer 15

the researchers frustrated the children by telling them that only good children can play with the toys and they aren’t good enough
then moved them to a new room and observed behaviour for 10 minutes

Question 16

what was the behaviour observed in each of the 3 conditions in the Bandura et al study?

Answer 16

1. aggressive role model- children imitated aggressive behaviour and went one step further by using a toy gun on the Bobo doll even though this wasn’t shown on the video
2. non aggressive role model- children imitated non aggressive behaviour and played nicely with toys
3. no role model- still hit Bobo doll

Question 17

what does Bandura et al research show?

Answer 17

children are more likely to imitate aggressive and violent behaviour if seen done by adult role model, especially if they identify with the model

Question 18

outline what the Bandura and Walters study showed about vicarious reinforcement?

Answer 18

children are more likely to perform the aggressive behaviour if they see the adult rewarded for it- they want to have the same reward

Question 19

what did the Bandura and Walters study show about vicarious punishment?

Answer 19

children were least likely to perform the aggressive behaviour if they see the adult punished for it

Question 20

what are the limitations of Bandura’s study?

Answer 20

-bobo dolls are designed to be hit
-SLT theory doesn’t explain why boys were more aggressive than girls in Bandura’s study
-study conducted in a lab

Question 21

what were the strengths of Bandura’s study?

Answer 21

-his research highlights the importance of cognitive factors on learning
-useful real life applications

Question 22

why is the fact that bobo dolls are designed to be hit a limitation in Bandura’s study?

Answer 22

children would simply behave in the way they believe they are expected to
children therefore might not have been actively trying to show aggression- this isn’t accounted for in SLT
….so low internal validity - study not fully measuring what it is supposed to

Question 23

why is SLT not being able to explain why boys are more aggressive than girls in Bandura’s study a limitation?

Answer 23

Bandura makes little reference to the impact of biological factors on social learning
. Important influences on behaviour (e.g. hormones) were not accounted for in SLT

Question 24

why was the Bandura study being conducted in a lab a limittaion?

Answer 24

demand characteristics more likely
low external validity- in real life there is less likely to be the period before the delayed imitation where frustration is built up.

Question 25

why is it a strength that Bandura’ research highlights the importance of cognitive factors on learning?

Answer 25

allows us to understand how people learn through observation and imitation- people process what they have seen
better than behaviourism since behaviourism doesn’t take into account complex human behaviour but SLT does

Question 26

why is it a strength that Bandura’s research has real life application?

Answer 26

reliable theory because it has impacted real life e.g James Bulgar case led to age restrictions on films and watershed (law in the UK that they cannot show sexual/ explicit/ violent content on Tv before 9pm)

Question 27

why might the Bandura experiment being done in a lab be a strength?

Answer 27

high control of extraneous variables- high internal validity
example of control- matched pairs design

Question 28

what are some strengths of the social learning theory?

Answer 28

-real life application
-consideration of cognitive factors
-accounts for cultural differences
-reciprocal determinism
-artificial lab studies

Question 29

what are some limitations of the social learning theory?

Answer 29

-influence of biological factors
-artificial lab studies

Question 30

how is real life application a strength of social learning theory?

Answer 30

e.g.increasing our understanding of criminal behaviour.
Akers (1998) suggests criminal bahviour is more likley when exposed to a criminal role model they identify with.
so social learning principles have added to our understanding of human behaviour, and could potentially lead to interventions where criminally at risk people could be exposed to positive role models

Question 31

how is consideration of cognitive factors a strength of social learning?

Answer 31

e.g. Bandura suggested that important mediational processes are important in whether the child decided to imitate the aggressive model on the Bobo doll
important as other approaches such as behaviourism don’t take into account complexity of human behaviour
so more comprehensive approach and can explain wider range of behaviour

Question 32

how is accounting for cultural differences a strength of social learning theory?

Answer 32

for example, Anorexia Nervosa is more common in Western societies than non-Western, where the media places more emphasis on the beauty of ‘thin’ celebrities

this is important as it suggests that eating disorders are better explained through individuals imitating the perceived desirable behaviour of thin celebs and being rewarded through their fame, rather than there being a biological explanation

Question 33

how is reciprocal determinism a strength of SLT?

Answer 33

reciprocal determinism is the idea that we are influenced by our external environment, but also exert influence on our environment
e.g. we choose who to surround ourselves with but we don’t choose how they will influence us
this suggests we have some form of free will so is more liked generally as an approach than the extremist view of behaviourism.

Question 34

how are artificial lab studies a strength and limitation of SLT?

Answer 34

limitation;
low external validity as the study results may not generalise to real life e.g. period of frustration unlikely to happen in real life

strength;
high internal validity- matched pairs and lots of control

Question 35

how is influence of biological factors a limitation of SLT?

Answer 35

in Bandura’s study, they found that boys were more aggressive, regardless of condition
doesn’t take into account things like presence of dysfunctional MAOA gene (linked to aggression)
incomplete theory