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

Define observation

Answer 2

The action or process of closely watching/monitoring something or someone.

Question 3

Define imitation

Answer 3

The action of simulating/copying the behaviour of others.

Question 4

Define role model

Answer 4

A person looked to by others as an example to be imitated.

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 is vicarious reinforcement?

Answer 6

Reinforcement which is not directly experienced but occurs through observing someone else being reinforced for a behaviour.

Question 7

What are mediational processes?

Answer 7

Cognitive factors (i.e. thinking) that influence learning and come between stimulus and response. They are: attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation.

Question 8

When and where was the social learning theory developed?

Answer 8

In America in the 1950s

Question 9

What two theories/approaches is the social learning theory seen as a bridge between?

Answer 9

Behavioruist learning theories and the cognitive approach.
It accepts classical and operant conditioning, but also involves cognitive processes.

Question 10

What’s the difference between vicarious reinforcement and vicarious punishment?

Answer 10

• vicarious reinforcement happens when the model’s behaviour results in desirable consequences.
• vicarious punishment happens when the model’s behaviour results in undesirable consequences.

Question 11

When is imitation more likely to occur?

Answer 11

If models are seen to be similar to us or have desirable qualities (eg power, status, talent).

Question 12

What are the four mediational processes?

Answer 12

• Attention: noticing behaviours.
• Retention: rembering behaviours to accurately reproduce it.
• Motor Reproduction: perceived ability of observer to perform behaviour.
• Motivation: the will to perform the behaviour.

Question 13

What was The Bandura Study 1961?

Answer 13

To test the social learning theory concepts of modelling and imitation, Bandura conducted an experiment to see if children would copy aggressive behaviour demonstrated by an adult towards an inflatable toy known as a Bobo doll.

Question 14

Who were the participants in The Bandura Study?

Answer 14

72 children (36 boys, 36 girls) from the nursery school of Stanford University, aged 3-5 years.

Question 15

What was the first condition in The Bandura Study?

Answer 15

24 observed an aggressive role model. 6 boys and 6 girls observed a male model. 6 boys and 6 girls observed a female model.

Question 16

What was the second condition of The Bandura Study?

Answer 16

24 observed a non-aggressive model. 6 boys and 6 girls observed a male model. 6 boys and 6 girls observed a female model.

Question 17

What was the third condition of The Bandura Study?

Answer 17

24 were in a control group, who saw no model. 12 boys and 12 girls.

Question 18

What experimental design was used in The Bandura Study?

Answer 18

Matched Pairs Design

Question 19

What pre-test was done before The Bandura Study?

Answer 19

Children were placed in groups of three based on the aggression score given to them by their nursery teacher and an experimenter. One of these three were put into each of the three conditions.

Question 20

Why was the pre-test for The Bandura Study important?

Answer 20

If the conditions were not matched, then one group may have been naturally more aggressive than another, which would reduce the accuracy of the results.

Question 21

What did the first condition watch in The Bandura Study?

Answer 21

An adult demonstrating physical and verbal aggression towards a Bobo doll in a room full of toys.

Question 22

What did the second condition watch in The Bandura Study?

Answer 22

An adult interacting non-aggressively with different toys.

Question 23

What did the experimenter record during The Bandura Study?

Answer 23

From behind a one way mirror, an experimenter observed and recorded the children’s physical and verbal aggression when left alone in the room with the Bobo doll and the other toys.

Question 24

What were the findings of The Bandura Study?

Answer 24

The findings revealed that children exposed to an aggressive model were more likely to be aggressive themselves.

Question 25

How did the results of The Bandura Study highlight the role of identification?

Answer 25

The results highlighted the role of identification, particularly among boys, who were more likely to mimic aggression after observing a male aggressive model, compared to after observing a female aggressive model.

Question 26

How does the social learning theory develop previous approaches?

Answer 26

It acknowledges cognitive factors in learning. This provides a more comprehensive explanation of human learning by recognising the role of mediational processes, and taking free will into account.

Question 27

Give an example of how social learning theory principles have been applied to real world behaviours.

Answer 27

It helps us understand the differences in behaviours between individuals and the influences on behaviours, eg media, upbringing.

Question 28

What is reciprocal determinism?

Answer 28

It means that we are not just influenced by our external environment, but we also exert an influence on it, through the behaviours we choose to perform. This indicates that there is some free will in the way we behave, which opposes the traditional ideas of classical and operant conditioning.

Question 29

How could the ethics of Bandura’s bobo doll study be criticised?

Answer 29

It involved exposing young children to violence and aggression.

Question 30

What could be the issue with Bandura developing many of his ideas through observation of young children’s behaviour in the lab?

Answer 30

This could lead to a low ecological validity, as it isn’t an everyday setting or scenario that the children are likely to be in, which could cause them to behave differently.

Question 31

What recent research shows that biological influences are underemphasised by the social learning theory?

Answer 31

Recent research suggests that observational learning may be the result of mirror neurons in the brain, which allows us to emphasise with and imitate other people.