Social-psychological explanation: SLT

Question 1

What does the SLT suggest about direct learning?

Answer 1

• Aggression is learned through operant conditioning, positive and negative reinforcement and punishment.
• EG a child snatches a toy off of another child is likely to learn that aggressive behaviour brings results.

Question 2

What does the SLT suggest about indirect learning?

Answer 2

• Aggression is learned through observations, vicarious reinforcement and imitation.
• EG a child observes a model rewarded for aggressive behaviour and then copies this.
• Models = peers, parents, siblings etc.
• Child observes the action AND the consequences of the aggressive action and of the model is rewarded the child learns that aggressive behaviour can be beneficial (vicarious reinforcement).
• If the aggression observed is punished then the child is less likely to imitate.

Question 3

What are the 4 cognitive conditions Bandura identified that are needed for observational learning to take place?

Answer 3

• Attention - basic cognitive requirement so the child must pay attention to the models aggressive actions.
• Retention - able to remember and form a symbolic mental representation of the action.
• Reproduction - transform the mental representation into actual physical action.
• Motivation - needs a reason to imitate behaviour.

Question 4

What is self efficacy?

Answer 4

• The extent to which we believe our actions will achieve a desired goal.
• A childs confidence in their ability to be aggressive grows as they learn that aggression can bring rewards.
• A childs confidence develops with each successful outcome.

Question 5

What research supports the SLT?

Answer 5

Bobo doll.

Question 6

State 4 positives of SLT.

Answer 6

Supporting research:
- Boivin and Poulin
- aggressive boys form friendships with other aggressive boys and the cliques are ‘training grounds’ for antisocial behaviour
- consistently exposed to models of physical aggression (each other)
Benefits of non-aggressive models:
- should encourage children to form friendships with children who don’t habitually behave aggressively gives them more opportunities to model non-aggressive behaviour
Cultural differences.
Real life application:
- Huesmann and Eron - media portrayals of aggression can be powerful influences on a child’s acquisition of aggression

Question 7

State a negative of SLT.

Answer 7

Cannot explain all aggression:

• reactive = hot blooded and angry
• proactive = cold blooded and calculated
• proactive children = high levels of self efficacy and are confident that their aggressive behaviour will bring benefits (explained by SLT)
• reactive = children habitually use aggression to retaliate in the heat of the moment and they tend to be hostile and don’t use aggression to achieve anything except retribution
• ^ may be better explained by negative affect theory