Social Learning Theory Flashcards
What is a role model?
*A person that someone looks up to as a reference for behaviour.
What is identification in regards to SLT?
Identification is the process by which we see a role model with a desirable behaviour and decide we want to be like them.
What are the four stages of SLT?
Attention, Retention, Reproduction, Motivation.
What is attention for SLT?
Attention is when you see a role model’s behaviour as begin to observe their behaviour.
What is retention for SLT?
Retention is where you need to maintain a behaviour for it to be imitated later, Bandura suggests mental rehearsal is a good way of achieving this.
What is reproduction for SLT?
Reproduction is when the behaviour is imitated and can be further refined with practice.
What effect does self-esteem have on SLT?
Those with lower self-esteem are more likely. to imitate the behaviour of a role model.
What is motivation in terms of SLT?
Motivation is what encourages behaviour to continue is present this may come from external reinforcements, vicarious reinforcement or internal reinforcements.
What is vicarious reinforcement for SLT?
An indirect reward where we see a role model being rewarded for their actions so are more likely to imitate them. This is not direct reinforcement.
What is external reinforcement for SLT?
If a behaviour is physically rewarded this is external reinforcement.
What is internal reinforcement for SLT?
If a behaviour causes excitement or dopamine release this is internal reinforcement.
Evaluation for SLT - Evidence supporting
Point - Social Learning Theory (SLT) suggests that people learn behaviours through observation and imitation of others, especially when these behaviours are reinforced.
Evidence -A key piece of research supporting SLT is the Bobo Doll experiment conducted by Albert Bandura in 1961. In this study, children watched an adult model act aggressively towards an inflatable Bobo Doll. The children were then allowed to interact with the same doll. The results showed that children who observed the aggressive behaviour were more likely to imitate it, suggesting that behaviour can be learned through observation.
Explanation - This supports SLT because it demonstrates that children can learn aggressive behaviour simply by watching someone else.
Evaluation for SLT - Applications
Point: Social Learning Theory (SLT) has been applied to real-world issues such as the regulation of media content, specifically in the creation of watershed rules to protect children from harmful TV programmes.
Evidence: Research has shown that children who watch violent or inappropriate content are more likely to imitate such behaviours, especially when the behaviour is rewarded or goes unpunished. This has influenced the development of watershed policies, which restrict the airing of violent or adult-themed content during hours when children are more likely to be watching TV.
Explanation: The watershed (typically set at 9 pm in the UK) aims to prevent young viewers from observing and imitating harmful behaviour they might see in TV shows or movies improving the lives of individuals.
Evaluation for SLT - Contrasting evidence
Point: An alternative explanation for human behaviour is operant Conditioning. Evidence: Skinner’s work on operant conditioning demonstrated that behaviour can be shaped by the consequences it produces.
Explanation: This contrasts with Social Learning Theory, which emphasises the role of observation and imitation in learning.
Evaluation for SLT - How useful
Point: One criticism of Social Learning Theory is that it may oversimplify the complexities of human behaviour by neglecting the influence of biological factors.
Evidence: Some critics argue that Bandura did not fully account for individual differences, such as genetic predispositions or personality traits, which might also influence whether a child chooses to imitate aggression.
Explanation: This criticism suggests that SLT places too much emphasis on environmental factors (such as observation and reinforcement) and overlooks the potential role of internal, biological factors like genetics and hormones.
