social Leary theory book

Question 1

Outline what is meant by ‘social learning theory’. Use an example to illustrate your understanding. (4 marks

Answer 1

social learning throw is the process of learning behaviour indirectly for example when a child sees someone in a movie do a dangerous stunt and tries to do it themselves. The three components of social learning theory is vacourcious reinforcement, medicinal process and identification

Question 2

Define what is meant by ‘modelling’ in the context of social learning theory. Illustrate your answer using an example. (3 marks)

Answer 2

Imitating the behaviour of a role model if that behaviour has been reinforced. An example would be A child trying to put on make-up as they have seen their mother complimented for ‘looking nice’.

Question 3

Outline what psychological research has told us about social learning theory as an explanation of behaviour. (4 marks)

Answer 3

Bendura group 1 was more aggressive than the control group that did not see that so this tells us that the observer needs to have the right motivation to reproduce it

Question 4

Explain one difference between the behaviourist approach and social learning theory.

Answer 4

behaviourist approach believe that learning only happens directly through conditionaling but social learning therapy believes that learning also happens indirectly through vicarious reinforcement

Question 5

Outline two strengths of social learning theory. (4 marks

Answer 5

Neither classical nor operant conditioning can offer an adequate account of learning on their own. SLT helps to give a more cognitive explanation.
POINT: Another strength of the SLT is that it has real-world application.
EVIDENCE: Social learning principles can account for how children learn from other people around them, as well as through the media, and this can explain how cultural norms are transmitted. Therefore, SLT has proved useful in understanding a range of behaviours such as how children came to understand their gender role by imitating role models in the media.
EVALUATION: This increases the value of SLT as it can account for real-world behaviour.

Question 6

Outline two limitations of social learning theory. (4 marks)

Answer 6

difficulty demonstrating cause and effect - although Bandura research controlled variables
and demonstrated behaviour was imitated it is difficult to show cause and effect in real life
* sees behaviour as environmentally determined whereas some behaviours may be innate
mediating cognitive factors have to be inferred so cannot measure extent of their influence
SLT does not explain cognitive processes, leaving this to cognitive psychologists

Question 7

What do social learning theorists mean by ‘identification’? Illustrate your answer using an example

Answer 7

When an observer associates with a role model and wants to be like them. An example would be A child wanting to be like Ariana Grande.

Question 8

Using an example, explain what social learning theorists mean by ‘mediational processes’ in learning

Answer 8

Cognitive factors that influence learning an example would be A child paying attention to and remembering a Messi free kick.

Question 9

Using an example, explain what social learning theorists mean by ‘vicarious reinforcement’.

Answer 9

A child seeing another child telling a joke and everybody laughing.