Social Learning Theory Ao3

Question 1

Strength of slt - emphasises importance of cognitive factors

Answer 1

E- neither classical or operate conditioning can offer a comprehensive account of human learning on their own because cognitive factors are omitted
E - humans and animals store info about the behaviours of others and use this to make judgement about when it is opppropriate to perform certain actions
E - this shows that slt provides a more complete explanation of human learning than the behaviourist approach by recognising the role of meditational process

Question 2

A limitaion is that slt relies to heavily on evidence from contrived lab studies

Answer 2

P - banduras ideas were developed and this raises the problem of demand characteristics
E - the main purpose of the bobo doll is to hit it - so the children may have been behaving a they thought was expected
E - thus the research may tell us little about how children actually learn aggression in everyday life

Question 3

A strength is slt had real world application

Answer 3

E- social learning principles can account for how children learn from other people around them as-well as through through the media - and this can explain how cultural norms are transmitted
E- this can prove useful in understanding a range of behaviours such as now children come to understand their gender roles by imitating role models in the media
E- this increases the value of slt as it can account for real world behaviour

Question 4

Banduras research - supports slt

Answer 4

P- supports as it shows how learning takes place through observation and imitation (a key slt concept)
Method- 72 children, half watched an adult play aggressively to doll, other half watched adult play non aggressively
Results- when child was given a doll, if they watched adult play aggressively, they would play aggressively
Conclusion- bobo doll study suggests that children are likely to imitate acts of violence if they observe this in an adult role model