Social Learning Theory Explanation Flashcards
What did Bandura believe about social learning and children?
Explain how children develop aggressive behaviours, observation adults then model behaviour on that: see parents angry, stores as mental representation
Who can also be the model for children’s aggressive behaviour? What study showed that exposure is enough for learning?
TV/film characters who act aggressively Bandura 1961 (original): vicarious experience
What other features of the role model influence learning?
More potent for males than females, when the role model is the same gender: status
What are the different aspects between learning of aggression and reproduction of what has been learned?
Learning: cognitive
Reproducing learning: behavioural
When is imitation of aggression more likely to occur?
If the child feels motivated to repeat behaviour, key motivation is prospect of being rewarded
What is vicarious reinforcement?
The viewing of a model behaving aggressively and then being rewarded is enough for a child to be motivated to repeat the behaviour
According to social learning theorists, the likelihood of someone behaving aggressively is determined by what?
previous experience of aggressive behaviour, how successful aggressive behaviour was in the past, likelihood of punishment/reward, cognitive/social environmental factors: hostile situation or fear of retaliation
What can the social learning theory not explain?
cannot explain all incidents of aggression: 2 people exposed to the same amount of aggression as children will not both necessarily become aggressive
What is the ethological theory? Who created it?
Use as evaluation for SLT
Lorenz, aggression is instinctive in all species and is important to evolutionary development, important for competing for resources, defending territory (nature)
What is the aggressive-cue theory? Who created it?
Use as evaluation for SLT
Berkowitz, frustration over time leads to anger, and anger to aggression if certain environmental cues are present: cues associated with violence so activate schema of aggression, drawing out residual anger
What is deindividuation? Who created it?
Use as evaluation for SLT
Festinger, happens when people are in a group and feel anonymous, feel uninhibited which can release aggression, especially if group is on conflict with another group/person. More likely if identity hidden e.g. masks
In what way can the SLT account for individual differences in aggression?
some cultures emphasise/model aggressive behaviour, the opposite for other cultures, different nurturing = different learning so different levels of aggression
Which theory of aggression would struggle to account for individual differences?
ethological theory - Lorenz, aggression innate, needed for evolutionary success, territory, food, defence
Which theory of aggression would struggle to account for individual differences?
ethological theory: if aggression is innate we would assume it would be stereotypical but it differs between people
Which other theory could account for individual differences in aggression?
Aggressive-cue theory: in some environments, the stimuli may not elicit an aggressive response (different environments = individual differences)
