social learning theory Flashcards
what is the core belief?
all behaviour is a result of observation and imitation
what is the basic assumption?
- all behaviour is learned from experience
- we learn through observation and imitation
- we learn directly and indirectly
- we learn through classical and operant conditioning
what is vicarious reinforcement?
the individual must observe the behaviour of others. the learner may imitate this behaviour but, in general, only when it is seen to be rewarding (reinforced) rather than punished. the individual not only observes the behaviour but the consequences.
what is the role of mediational processes?
this approach is described as a bridge between behaviourism and the cognitive approach. the mental processes that the approach talks about helps mediate in the learning process to determine whether a behaviour is worth acquiring.
what are the 4 mediational processes?
1) attention - the extent to which we notice the behaviour
2) retention - how well the behaviour is remembered
3) motor reproduction - the ability of the observer to perform the behaviour
4) motivation - the will to perform the behaviour which is determined by the punishment or reward.
what is identification?
individuals are more likely to imitate someone they identify with. e.g. role models through a process called modelling. a person becomes a role model if they share similar characteristics, they are attractive and have high status.
what was Bandura’s study?
to test the idea that children could learn to become aggressive through imitating another person behaving aggressively. he used a basic procedure of children aged between 3 and 5 observing an adult behave aggressively towards a bobo doll.
what did Bandura find?
children showed significantly more imitation to the same sex model and boys performed more acts of aggression than girls.
explain Bandura’s study
participants were split into 3 groups. seeing a model get punished resulted in the lowest levels of imitation whereas the highest levels were shown when the models were praised but also when there was no consequences.
the children knew what behaviour was appropriate.
how can Bandura’s study support SLT?
it proves that we learn from experience. due to the children observing the models they then imitated them which proves we learn through observation and imitation. the children learned directly through operant conditioning because reinforcement was applied e.g. highest levels of aggression were produced when the model was praised. therefore proving SLT is true.
one strength of SLT
P: Bandura’s study can be replicated
E: it used a standardised procedure under a controlled environment and he controlled his variables such as gender of the models and how long the behaviour was observed
TMT: Bandura’s study can support SLT and it has high validity
one weakness of SLT
P: Bandura’s study lacks ecological validity
E: the situation involves a child and an adult model which can be a limited social situation and there is no interaction between the two
TMT: none of the above activities of the environment are familiar or ‘normal’ to the child. therefore the child’s behaviour is likely to be different and not a true reflection of normal behaviour.
