The Learning Approach: Social Learning Theory Flashcards
social Learning theory is learning that occurs
Indirectly
Albert Bandura agrees with the
Behaviourist approach
While Bandura agreed with the behaviourists, he also proposed that learning takes place in
A social context through observation and imitation of others behaviour
Vicarious reinforcement is
Learning related to consequences of behaviour
Children and adults observe
Other people’s behaviour and take note of the consequences
Behaviour that is seen to be reinforced is much more likely to be
Copied
Behaviour that is seen to be punished is
Less likely to be copied
There are four mediational processes in learning
Attention
Retention
Motor reproduction
Motivation
Attention
Whenever behaviour is noticed
Retention
Whether behaviour is remembered
Motor reproduction
Being able to do it
Motivation
The will to perform the behaviour
Attention and retention relate to the
Learning of behaviour
Motor reproduction and motivation relate to the
Performance of behaviour
Children are more likely to imitate the behaviour of
People with whom they identify with
Such role models that are similar to the observer tend to be
Attractive and have high standards
Bandura’s research 1 - children watched an adult either
Behaving aggressively towards a bobo doll
Behaving non-aggressively towards a bobo doll
Bandura’s research 1 - when given their own doll to play with
The children who had seen aggression were much more aggressive towards the doll
Bandura’s research 2 - children saw an adult who was either
Rewarded
Punished
Neither rewarded or punished
Bandura’s research 2 - when given their own doll to play with
The children who saw the aggression rewarded were much more aggressive themselves
The bobo doll studies suggest that children are likely to
Imitate (model) acts of violence if they observe these in an adult role model
It is also the case that modelling aggressive behaviour is more likely if
Such behaviour is seen to be rewarded
Neither classical conditioning nor operant conditioning can offer a
Comprehensive account of human learning on their own because cognitive factors are omitted
Humans and animals store information about
The behaviour of others and use this to make judgements about when it is appropriate to perform certain actions
Social learning theory provides a more
Complete explanation of human learning than the behaviourist approach by recognising the role of mediational processes
Many of Bandura’s ideas were developed through
Observation of children’s behaviour in a lab setting and this raises the problem of demand characteristics
The main purpose of the bobo doll is
To hit it
Because the bobo doll is designed to be hit, maybe the children were acting
How they were expecting to act with the toy that they were given
Because the bobo doll is designed to be hit, this means that Bandura’s study tells us
Little about how children actually learn aggression in everyday life
A consistent finding in the bobo doll experiment was that
Boys showed more aggression than girls, regardless of the specifics of the experimental condition
The boys may have been more violent because of differences in levels of
Testosterone which is present in greater quantities in boys and is also linked to aggression
The difference in testosterone levels means that Bandura may have underplayed the importance of
Biological factors in social learning
Social learning principles may 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
Useful in explaning range of behaviours Ao3
Social learning principles have proved useful in understanding a range of behaviours such as how children come to understand their gender role by imitating role models.
The biological approach can only explain
Universal behaviours because human biological processes do not change with culture
Bandura emphasised
Reciprocal determinism
Reciprocal determinism
We are influenced by our environment but we also exert an influence upon it through the behaviours we choose to perform
Reciprocal determinism suggests there is some
Free will in the way that we behave
Reciprocal determinism is a more
Realistic and flexible position than is suggested by the behaviourist approach as it recognises the role we play in shaping our own environment
