Social Learning Theory

Question 1

Which psychologist proposed the theory?

Answer 1

Albert Bandura.

Question 2

What are the assumptions of the approach?

Answer 2

Behaviour is learnt through observation and imitation of others, suggesting learning happens through vicarious reinforcement.

Question 3

What is imitation?

Answer 3

Copying the behaviour that you observe from others.

Question 4

What is identification?

Answer 4

When an observer associates themselves with a role model and wants to be like them.

Question 5

What is vicarious reinforcement?

Answer 5

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

Question 6

What are the features of the approach?

Answer 6

• Vicarious reinforcement.
• Meditational processes.
• Identification.

Question 7

What role does vicarious reinforcement have in imitation?

Answer 7

You are more likely to imitate someones behaviour if they are seen to be rewarded for doing it.

Question 8

If a child imitates Lionel Messi’s dribbling skills, what may they do?

Answer 8

• See he is rewarded for his skill
• Want to imitate his ability’s
• But lack the motor reproduction skills to produce the ability.

Question 9

SLT is often described as the bridge between which two approaches?

Answer 9

Behaviourist and Cognitive, because it focuses on cognitive (mediational) processes in learning.

Question 10

List the mediational processes:

Answer 10

• Attention
• Retention
• Motor reproduction
• Motivation

Question 11

What acronym is used for the mediational processes?

Answer 11

ARMM

Question 12

What is attention?

Answer 12

The extent to which we notice certain behaviours.

Question 13

What is retention?

Answer 13

How well a behaviour is remembered.

Question 14

What is motor reproduction?

Answer 14

The ability of the observer to perform the behaviour.

Question 15

What is motivation?

Answer 15

The will of the observer to perform the behaviour.

Question 16

What is likely to determine motivation?

Answer 16

If the behaviour was rewarded or punished.

Question 17

Which mediational processes relate to learning the behaviour?

Answer 17

Attention and retention.

Question 18

Which mediational processes relate to performing the behaviour?

Answer 18

Motor reproduction and motivation.

Question 19

Who’s behaviour are you most likely to imitate and copy regularly?

Answer 19

Those who you relate to or look up to, they are role models.

Question 20

What is modelling?

Answer 20

When people imitate the actions of those who they look up to or relate to.

Question 21

How does a person become a role model?

Answer 21

If the observer relates to them or wishes to be like them.

Question 22

What is a huge genetic factor in determining role models?

Answer 22

Gender, most people have role models of their own gender as they relate to them more.

Question 23

When was Bandura’s first experiment?

Answer 23

1961

Question 24

When was Bandura’s follow up experiment?

Answer 24

2 years later (1963)

Question 25

What as Bandura’s (initial) experiment?

Answer 25

• Children either observed adults being aggressive to the Bobo doll or being passive with it.
• The children were then given a Bobo doll to play with and their behaviour was observed.

Question 26

Who did the Bobo doll experiment?

Answer 26

Albert Bandura et al. 1961

Question 27

What were the results of Bandura’s initial experiment?

Answer 27

Children who observed aggressive behaviour in the video were much more likely to show the same behaviour to the doll than the children shown passive behaviour from the adults.

Question 28

What was Bandura’s follow up investigation?

Answer 28

The children observed either someone being rewarded, punished, or having no consequence for aggressive behaviour to the Bobo doll.

Question 29

What results were found in Bandura’s follow up investigation?

Answer 29

The children who experienced violence being rewarded were highly likely to also show violent behaviour toward the doll.

Question 30

The approach can explain cultural differences in behaviour and nutrition:

Answer 30

Anorexia is more common in western cultures, which shows there is no biological basis to anorexia, however western cultures reward looking slim so people are more likely to develop anorexia to look slim for this approval.

Question 31

Bandura’s ideas were over-reliant on young children in lab studies:

Answer 31

The children knew they were being observed and therefore may respond to demand characteristics which could explain their behaviour.

Question 32

The approach underestimates the influence of biological factors:

Answer 32

A consistent finding was that boys displayed more aggression than girls regardless of environmental conditions. This could however be explained through hormonal factors such as testosterone level beng much higher in boys.

Question 33

The approach has some useful applications:

Answer 33

It has been used to explain criminal activities, Akers (1998) suggested the probability of someone engaging in criminal behaviour increases when they are exposed to crime.

Question 34

The approach employs reciprocal determinism:

Answer 34

We are not merely influenced by our external environment, but we also exert our influence on it.