Social Learning theory

Question 1

Who developed Social learning theory and when?

Answer 1

Bandura, 1960s

Question 2

What’s one similarity SLT has to behaviourism?

Answer 2

Both believe were born a tabula rasa

Question 3

What’s one difference between SLT and behaviourism?

Answer 3

Behaviorism is direct learning
(learning through environment)
and SLT is indirect learning (observing and imitating others)

Question 4

Define social learning theory?

Answer 4

Behavior is learned by observing and imitating others, but mediational processes are involved between S and R

Question 5

What are the 4 assumptions of SLT?

Answer 5

1. Learn through indirect (vicarious) reinforcement
2. Learn through observation and imitation
3. Some mediational processes are involved between S and R
4. Role models have an important influence on SLT

Question 6

What is vicarious reinforcement?

Answer 6

When people are more likely to imitate behavior if they see others rewarded for it

Question 7

What makes us more likely to choose certain people to be role models? (identification)

Answer 7

Through identification, if they’re seen to have similar characteristics to us or are attractive and have high status

Question 8

What is modelling?

Answer 8

Observing and imitating another person

Question 9

What are medicinal processes?

Answer 9

Mental (cognitive) factors that intervene in the learning process

Question 10

What are the 4 medicinal processes?

Answer 10

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

Question 11

What is identification?

Answer 11

Adopting behaviors shown by a role model, because they have a quality the individual would like to have

Question 12

What is retention?

Answer 12

How well the behavior is remembered

Question 13

What is motor reproduction?

Answer 13

The ability to perform the behavior

Question 14

What is motivation?

Answer 14

The desire to perform the behavior

Question 15

What and when was the first experiment done to prove this?

Answer 15

Bandura ross and ross 1961

Question 16

Describe the procedure of Bandura Ross and Ross

Answer 16

1. Tested 36 girls and 36 boys for aggression
2. Pre-tested them for aggression levels using matched pairs
3. There were 3 groups, one showed an aggressive model, one showed a non-aggressive model, one showed no model
4. Aggressive model included unique aggression
   Non-aggressive model ignored the doll
5. Children were told only the best can play with toys and they weren’t the best, to maximize aggression

Question 17

What were the 3 findings of Bandura Ross and Ross experiment?

Answer 17

1. Children who watched aggressive model were most aggressive, imitated the unique aggression, and went a step further
2. Boys were more aggressive than girls
3. Children were significantly more likely to imitate the same sex

Question 18

What was the 2nd experiment?

Answer 18

Bandura and Walters 1963

Question 19

What happened in Bandura and Walters experiment?

Answer 19

1. Same as Ross and Ross
2. Children are all shown an aggressive video, one model rewarded at the end, one punished, and one with no consequence

Question 20

What were the findings of Bandura and Walters?

Answer 20

1. Children were most aggressive when the model was rewarded
   (Vicarious reinforcement)
2. Children least likely to imitate when the model was rewarded
   (vicarious punishment)

Question 21

What are the 3 strengths of SLT?

Answer 21

-real-life application
-considers cognitive factors
-slightly reciprocal determinist

Question 22

How does SLT have real-life application?

Answer 22

Alkers (1998) suggests criminal behavior is more likely when exposed to a criminal role model they identify with so SLT helps us understand human behavior
-Could lead to interventions where criminally risked people could be exposed to positive role models

Question 23

How does SLT consider cognitive factors?

Answer 23

Bandura suggested there are 4 mediational processes between the SR unit and these are important in whether the child will identify with the model or not.
Good as other approaches like behaviorism doesnt take the complexity of human behavior into account so this can explain a wider range of behavior

Question 24

What is the extended strength of SLT?

Answer 24

Slightly Reciprocal determinism
-This means the behavior is determined by our environment, but SLT believes we chose our environment (friends) so we have an element of free will

Question 25

What are the 2 limitations of SLT and Bandura’s study?

Answer 25

-Lacks biological factors
-Low external validity

Question 26

How does SLT have low external validity?

Answer 26

Bandura’s study was conducted in a lab and the children were exposed to aggression arousal which would not happen in real life before encountering situations
and
bobo dolls were made to hit so the children may have believed the experimenter wanted them to attack the Bobo Doll

Question 27

How does SLT lack biological factors?

Answer 27

It does not include the influence of hormones, or genetics. This limits a person’s behavior to either nature or nurture. Limited explanation

eg. doesnt explain why boys are more aggressive than girls