Social Learning Theory (observational Learning) Flashcards
What are models?
Individuals observed in society, anything from parents and friends to singers
Children pay attention to some of these people & encode behaviour
At later time they may imitate behaviour
They may do this whether it’s gender appropriate or not
What is the first stage in observational learning?
Child is more likely to pay attention & imitate people it perceives as similar to itself
Consequently more likely to imitate behaviour modelled by people of same gender
What is the second stage in observational learning?
People around child will respond to behaviour it imitates with either reinforcement or punishment
If child imitates model’s behaviour & consequences rewarding, child likely to continue behaviour
E.g. parent sees little girl consoling teddy, and says she’s kind, this is rewarding for child & more likely to repeat behaviour
What is the third stage in observational learning?
Child takes into account consequences that happen to others when deciding whether or not to copy someone’s actions
E.g. younger sister observing older sister rewarded for particular behaviour more likely to repeat it herself - vicarious reinforcement
What is identification?
Form of influence - individual adopts attitude/behaviour because they want to be associated with particular person or group
Identification different to imitation - number of behaviours adopted, imitation usually one
What is imitation?
Using someone or something as model & copying their behaviour
What is vicarious reinforcement?
Learning not result of direct reinforcement, but through observing someone else being reinforced for that behaviour
E.g. younger sister observes older sister being rewarded for being kind, so she will be liekly to repeat behaviour
What is the definition of meditational processes?
Internal mental processes that exist between environmental stimuli & response made by individual to those stimuli
Occurs in between observing behaviour and imitating it
What are the meditational processes?
ATTENTION: Extent to which we’re exposed/notice behaviour
RETENTION: How well behaviour is remembered
REPRODUCTION: Ability to perform behavioural model demonstrated
However, we’re limited by physical ability, e.g. 90 year old watching Dancing on Ice
MOTIVATION: Will to perform behaviour
Rewards & punishment which follow considered by observer
If perceived rewards outweigh perceived costs, then behaviour more likely to be imitated
Evaluate social learning theory
Strength - More complete explanation than other explanations for behaviour
E.g. - Humans & animals rely on behaviour of others to make judgements about own actions & when it’s appropriate to perform them. Learning would be very dangerous if we only relied on effects of our own actions to inform us what to do
Ex. - Recognition in cognitive factors in learning means SLT provides more comprehensive account of human learning, compared to the behaviourist approach
Limitation - Contrived lab studies
E.g. - Artificial stimuli - Bobo Doll Experiment (1961)
Ex. - Demand characteristics apparent - purpose of Bobo Doll is to hit it - kids acting in naturally rather than imitating aggressive behaviour they saw. Tells us little about how kids learn in everyday life
Limitation - SLT sees all behaviour as environmentally determined - soft determinism
E.g. - In nature vs nuture debate, they’re exclusively nuture, ignoring impact of biological side of things on behaviour
Ex. - Leaves little room for processes other than mental events affecting behaviour, e.g. you could be born with certain characteristic through genes
