Social Learning Theory Flashcards
What did Bandura believe that reinforcement could do?
Serve an informative function for an individual
What is involved in Bandura’s Social Learning Theory
- Modelling
- Imitation
- Identification
- Vicarious reinforcement
- The role of mediational processes
How is modelling involved in Bandura’s Social Learning Theory?
Someone must carry out ( or ‘model’) the attitude or behaviour to be learned
What are the different types of models?
- Live model
- Symbolic model
What is a live model?
- Parent
- Teacher
- Member of peer group
What is a symbolic model?
Someone portrayed in the media
- A character on TV
How is imitation involved in Bandura’s Social Learning Theory?
Much of what a child learns in through acquired imitation of attitudes and behaviours modelled by parents etc
What are the key determinants of whether a behaviour is imitated?
- The characteristics of the model
- The observers percieved ability to perform behaviour
- Observed consequences
How is identification involved in Bandura’s Social Learning Theory?
The extent to which an individual relates to a model
- They feel similar to the model
Identification with the model means that the individual is more likely to imitate their behaviour
What does Research show about identification in children
Children are more likely to identify with models of the same sex.
Eg James Patrick Bulger murder case
What is vicarious reinforcement?
Individuals learn about the likely consequences of an action, adjust their behaviour accordingly.
How is vicarious reinforcement involved in Bandura’s Social Learning Theory?
Bandura and Walters, children who observe a model rewarded for aggressive behaviour are more likely to imitate that behaviour than those who observed a model punished for the same behaviour.
What is the role of mediational processes?
Bandura claimed that for social learning to take place the observer must form mental representations of behaviour and consequences
So in future they display the learned behaviour knowing about the repercussions
Key Study: Bandura Et Al. ( 1961)
- Children observe aggressive or non-aggressive adult models
- Half exposed to aggressive other non-aggressive towards a Bobo doll
- Children taken to a room with toys they couldn’t play with
- Then into a room with the bobo doll
What where the findings of Bandura’s study?
- 1/3 of children who observed aggressive model repeated the models response
- None of the children who observed the non aggressive model reproduced the actions
What happened in Bandura’s follow up study?
Children who saw the model being rewarded for aggressive behaviour were more likely to show a high level of aggression in their own play
Social learning theory useful applications
- The principles have been applied to increase our understanding of human behaviour
- Akers (1998) suggest the probability of someone engaging in criminal behaviour increases when exposed to models
- Ulrich (2003), strongest cause of violent behaviour in adolescences was associated with delinquent peer groups, violence modelled and rewarded
Research support for identification
- Observing a model similar to the self should lead to more learning than observing a dissimilar model
- Fox and Bailenson(2009) , computer generated virtual humans engaged in exercise. Models either looked similar or dissimilar
- Participants who saw models similar to them engaged in exercise in the 24hrs following the experiment
The Greater the Identification with the model leads to more learning, easier to visualise yourself.
A problem of complexity
Focusing exclusively on the processes of social learning, disregard other potential influences on behaviour
- Explaining development of gender role behaviour, social learning theorists emphasis the importance of gender-specific modelling. IRL a child is exposed to many different influences
- If virtually anything can have an influence on specific behaviour, it becomes difficult to show one particular thing is the main cause influence.
This becomes difficult because if anything can have an influence on behaviour then it becomes difficult to show that one particular thing is the main casual influence
What was Albert Bandura’s belief?
- That new patterns of behaviour could be accquired not only through direct experience but also by observing one’s own behaviour and the behaviour of others
