social psychological explanations of aggression: SLT

Question 1

explain direct and indirect learning?

Answer 1

• Bandura believed aggression can be learned through operant conditioning +/-ive punishment
• direct reinforcement makes it more likely that behaviour will be repeated =observational learning

Question 2

explain observational learning and vicarious reinforcement?

Answer 2

• child observes aggressive behaviour through models
• by observing how it is performed and consequences
• they may observe aggression is a good way to get what they want and more likely to imitate

Question 3

what were the finding from the bobo doll experiment?

Answer 3

• children who observed aggressive behaviour acted aggressive
• more aggressive boys than girls
• greater level of imitation when model was same gender
• control group saw adult playing non aggressively and aggression was almost non existent

Question 4

explain the bobo doll experiment

6 steps

Answer 4

-36 m+f pp’s from 40-70 months
-1m and 1f acted as models
-8 experimental groups
-half observed mans aggression the other half, the woman’s
-then divided into gender groups girls watched the woman
-models hit doll and abused it
then kids taken to room with same doll

Question 5

evaluate demand characteristics for bobo doll study?

Answer 5

WEAKNESS

• artificial stimuli=demand characteristics
• bobo doll was created to be hit therefore kids his it
• they behaved the way they thought they should
• tells little about how children learn aggression

Question 6

evaluate the influence of the media for observational learning and vicarious reinforcement?

Answer 6

• media portrayals of aggression may influence children

- if character is rewarded for aggression, child may identify and they could imitate in real life

Question 7

explain vicarious reinforcement in aggression?

Answer 7

ARMS- mental factors involved in learning

1. attention- the extent the learner notices behaviour
2. retention- how well behaviour is remembered
3. motor repro- ability of observer to reproduce
4. skills- ability to perform depending on situation

Question 8

explain self efficacy?

Answer 8

• extent to which we believe our actions will achieve a desired goal
• if they are confident aggression brings rewards they will carry on
• if mrs Moosa wears trainers to school and no one notices she may do it everyday because she’s confident they wont say anything

Question 9

evaluate a weakness of self efficacy ?

Answer 9

• Cannot explain all aggression
• eg. reactive and proacative
• proactive= high self efficacy as they are confident it will bring benefits
• reactive= are hostile and don’t receive anything except punishment
• weakness as reactive aggression isn’t really explained by SLT

Question 10

explain reactive and proactive aggression

Answer 10

• reactive- hot blooded angry

- proactive- ‘cold blooded’ calculated