Social Learning Theory Flashcards
What is the social learning theory?
A way of explaining behaviour that includes both direst and indirect reinforcement, combining learning theory with the role of cognitive factors
What is imitation ?
Copying the behaviours of others
What is identification ?
When an observer associates themselves with a role model and wants to be like them
What is modelling ?
Imitating the behaviour of a role model or the precise demonstration of a specific behaviour that may be imitated
What is vicarious reinforcement ?
Reinforcement which is not directly experienced but occurs through observing someone else being reinforced for a behaviour
What are the key assumptions?
- behaviour is learned through experience
- people can also lean through observation and imitation of others
- learning occurs directly and indirectly
What are the four mediational processes ?
Attention
Retention
Motor reproduction
Motivation
What is attention ?
The extent to which we notice behaviours
What is retention ?
How well the behaviour is remembered
What is motor reproduction?
The ability of the observer to perform the behaviour
What is motivation?
The will to perform the behaviour, which is determined by whether the behaviour was rewarded or punished
What is a key study ?
Bandura and Walters (1963)
What was the procedure in Banduras study ?
Recorded the behaviour of young children who watched an adult behave aggressively towards a bobo doll. One group saw the adult praised whilst the other saw the adult punished. The control group saw the behaviour with no consequences
What we’re the findings of the bandura study ?
The first group showed much more aggression, followed by the third group then the second
Strengths of the SLT ? Hey
It highlights the importance of cognitive factors that neither classical or operant conditioning were able to do as they didn’t acknowledge learning on their own
Less determinist than the behaviour approach as there is a choice in the mediational processes
What are the weakness of the SLT ?
Over reliance on lab studies therefore participants may respond to demand characteristics, maybe they were behaving the way they thought was expected. Please U effect
Low mundane realism
Underestimated the influence of biological factors, boys are more aggressive due to higher levels of testosterone
