The Learning Approach - Social Learning Theory Flashcards
What are the key assumptions of the social learning theory?
1 human behaviour is learned from observing and imitating role models
2 learning could occur indirectly through vicarious reinforcement
3 mediating cognitive factors take place between stimulus and response
What is modelling
Live model - someone you actually know eg family Symbolic model - celebrity etc
The role model demonstrates a specific behaviour that the observer imitates
What is identification
When an observer associates themselves with the model and wants to be like them
What is vicarious reinforcement
Learning through observing another persons experience of reinforcement
What is self efficacy
Observing someone and watching them succeed can increase your belief in your own abilities
What is imitation
Copying the behaviour of someone you see as a role model
What are the mediating cognitive factors
Factors that affect whether learners identify with models, imitate them and how they respond to reinforcement.
Attention, Retention, Motor Reproduction, Motivation
What is attention (MCF)
The extent to which we notice certain behaviours
What is retention (MCF)
How well the behaviour that we notice is remembered
What is motor reproduction (MCF)
The ability of the observer to physically perform the behaviour
What is motivation (MCF)
The will to preform the behaviour
Key study - BANDURA ET AL DOLL STUDY
Lab exp involving 36 boys and 36 girls with a mean age of 4.5 years old from a nursery in Stanford through opportunity sampling. Children were matched on aggressiveness (matched pairs) and half of the children observed an aggressive model and the other half a non aggressive model interacting with a Bobo doll.
Children watched the model play with the bobo doll and then were taken into another room where they could play before it was interrupted so they would be frustrated and then taken into another room with the bobo doll.
Children who observed the aggressive model imitated more physical and verbal aggressive behaviours. In the non aggressive group 70% didn’t observe any behaviours. Boys copied their same sex role model more and imitated more physical aggression than girls. Male role models also had greater influence over both boys and girls.
Bandura variation - vicarious reinforcement
Adults received positive reinforcement or punishment for their aggressive behaviour. Praise of aggressive behaviour resulted in more imitation of agressiveness and punishment reduced them. A third group saw no specific consequences (control)
Bandura EVALUATION
STRENGTHS
large sample
children had consent
lab study so reliable and standardised
generalisable to both genders
considered biology as matched on aggression
real life application
WEAKNESS
psychological harm
lacks ecological validity
lacks temporal validity
ethnocentric
demand characteristics
unrepresentative of other ages
