Social learning theory

Question 1

What is the main assumption of the SLT?

Answer 1

• States that all behaviours are learned in a social context; that learning occurs through observation of the behaviour of others and consequences of this behaviour.

Question 2

What is vicarious reinforcement?

Answer 2

• If an observed behaviour is reinforced, it is likely to be imitated.
• If an observed behaviour is punished, it is not likely to be imitated.
• Bandura called this vicarious reinforcement.

Question 3

How does this approach consider human beings?

Answer 3

• This approach considers human beings to be information processors who think about the relationship between their behaviour and its consequences.

Question 4

What are the 4 mediational processes?

Answer 4

• Attention= the extent to which behaviour is noticed.
• Retention= how well we remember the behaviour.
• Motor reproduction= the ability of the learner to perform the behaviour.
• Motivation= the will to perform the learnt behaviour is dependent on whether it will lead to positive or negative consequences.

Question 5

Why are the mediational processes important?

Answer 5

• SLT states that mediational processes occur between the stimulus-response link. These mediational processes are important in determining whether an observed behaviour will go on to be imitated.

Question 6

Role models

Answer 6

• Bandura states that for social learning to take place a role model should carry out the behaviour/ attitude to be learned.
• Before social learning actually takes place, a learner should be able to identify with the model- this is most likely to happen if the model displays desirable characteristics (attractive, high status etc.) and is more likely if they are the same sex.

Question 7

Key Study: Bandura

Answer 7

• Bandura tested 36 boys and 36 girls from a nursery school aged between 3-6 years old.

Question 8

What experimental design was Bandura’s study?

Answer 8

• The researchers pre-tested the children for how aggressive they were by observing the children in the nursey and judged their aggressive behaviour on four 5-point rating scales.
• It was then possible to match the children in each group so that they had similar levels of aggression in their everyday behaviour.
• The experiment therefore uses a matched pairs design.

Question 9

What type of experiment was it?

Answer 9

• Lab experiment.

Question 10

How was the IV manipulated?

Answer 10

IV= type of model.
- The IV was manipulated in 3 conditions:
1. Aggressive role models (shown to 24 children).
2. Non-aggressive model (shown to 24 children).
3. No model shown (control condition)- (shown to 24 children).

Question 11

The aggressive model

Answer 11

• The aggressive model displayed distinctive physically aggressive acts towards the bobo doll, for example, striking it with a mallet, and shouted verbally aggressive words like “Pow!”.

Question 12

After the experiment

Answer 12

• The children were deliberately frustrated by showing them attractive toys which they were not allowed to play with.
• They were then taken to a room where among other toys was a bobo doll.

Question 13

Findings of the study….

Answer 13

• Children who observed the aggressive role model reproduced physical and verbal aggressive responses.
• Children in the non-aggressive model group displayed no physical or verbal aggressive responses.

Question 14

Conclusions drawn from Bandura’s study

Answer 14

• Bandura’s bobo doll experiment demonstrated that children are able to learn social behaviours such as aggression through observing the behaviours of others (a role model).
• The findings of this study support the SLT.