Social Learning Theory Flashcards
What are the four stages?
Observation - observing the behaviour
Retention - retaining this information (remember the behaviour)
Imitation - copying the behaviour
Judgment of consequences - if positive reinforcement is received, we continue the behaviour, if not, it stops
What is vicarious reinforcement?
Before imitating the behaviour, you see how the behaviour of the role model was received.
More likely to imitate the behaviour if the role model receives positive reinforcement
What are the mediational processes?
Attention - if the behaviour is not noticed, it cannot be imitated
Retention - if the behaviour is not remembered it cannot be imitated
Motor reproduction - if we are unable to replicate the behaviour, it will not be imitated
Motivation - if we are not willing to imitate the behaviour (consequences) we wont
Advantages
1) takes mental processes into account
- operant or classical conditioning do not adequately offer an account of learning on their own
- humans and animals store information about behaviours and when it is appropriate to perform certain ones bandura said that observing others forms and idea of how new behaviours are formed
- these act as a guide to action
- more comprehensive explanation of human behaviour
2) wide applications
- explains cultural differences in behaviour modelling, imitation and reinforcement can explain how children learn from those around them and how social norms are transferred through societies
- helps understand a range of behaviours such as gender role
- increase ecological. Validity
Limitations
1) ignores biological factors..
- bandura states that biological factors influence learning potential but he thought learning is influenced by environment.
- However research shows that observed behaviour is a result of mirror neurons in the brain that let us empathise and imitate people — biological factors underemphasized
2) info gathered through lab studies
Children may respond to demand characteristics, the children did what they thought was expected of them.. tellls little about how children learn aggression
