Social Learning Theory

Question 1

What did Bandura believe that reinforcement could do?

Answer 1

Serve an informative function for an individual

Question 2

What is involved in Bandura’s Social Learning Theory

Answer 2

• Modelling
• Imitation
• Identification
• Vicarious reinforcement
• The role of mediational processes

Question 3

How is modelling involved in Bandura’s Social Learning Theory?

Answer 3

Someone must carry out ( or ‘model’) the attitude or behaviour to be learned

Question 4

What are the different types of models?

Answer 4

• Live model

- Symbolic model

Question 5

What is a live model?

Answer 5

• Parent
• Teacher
• Member of peer group

Question 6

What is a symbolic model?

Answer 6

Someone portrayed in the media

- A character on TV

Question 7

How is imitation involved in Bandura’s Social Learning Theory?

Answer 7

Much of what a child learns in through acquired imitation of attitudes and behaviours modelled by parents etc

Question 8

What are the key determinants of whether a behaviour is imitated?

Answer 8

• The characteristics of the model
• The observers percieved ability to perform behaviour
• Observed consequences

Question 9

How is identification involved in Bandura’s Social Learning Theory?

Answer 9

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

Question 10

What does Research show about identification in children

Answer 10

Children are more likely to identify with models of the same sex.
Eg James Patrick Bulger murder case

Question 11

What is vicarious reinforcement?

Answer 11

Individuals learn about the likely consequences of an action, adjust their behaviour accordingly.

Question 12

How is vicarious reinforcement involved in Bandura’s Social Learning Theory?

Answer 12

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.

Question 13

What is the role of mediational processes?

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Key Study: Bandura Et Al. ( 1961)

Answer 14

• 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

Question 15

What where the findings of Bandura’s study?

Answer 15

• 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

Question 16

What happened in Bandura’s follow up study?

Answer 16

Children who saw the model being rewarded for aggressive behaviour were more likely to show a high level of aggression in their own play

Question 17

Social learning theory useful applications

Answer 17

• 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

Question 18

Research support for identification

Answer 18

• 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.

Question 19

A problem of complexity

Answer 19

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

Question 20

What was Albert Bandura’s belief?

Answer 20

• 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