The learning approach: Social learning theory

Question 1

Who proposed the social learning theory as a development of the behaviourist approach?

Answer 1

Albert Bandura proposed social learning theory as a development of the behaviourist approach.

Question 2

How did Bandura criticise the behaviourist approach?

Answer 2

Bandura criticised the behaviourist approach by arguing that classical and operant conditioning could not account for all human learning. Bandura instead adopted the view that there are important mental processes that mediate between stimulus and response.

Question 3

What is the social learning theory?

Answer 3

The social learning theory is a way of explaining behaviour that includes both direct and indirect reinforcement. This combines learning theory with the role of cognitive factors.

Question 4

What did both Bandura and behaviourist psychologists agree on?

Answer 4

Bandura agreed with the behaviourists that much of our behaviour is learned from experience.

Question 5

According to Bandura’s social learning theory, how do people learn?

Answer 5

The social learning theory proposes that people learn through observation and imitation of others within a social context. SLT suggested that learning occurs directly, through classical and operant conditioning, but also indirectly.

Question 6

According to the social learning theory, people learn through the imitation of others. What is meant by imitation?

Answer 6

Imitation refers to copying the behaviour of others.

Question 7

The social learning theory can be broken down into three explanations of how people learn. What are these thee components?

Answer 7

1. Vicarious reinforcement
2. Mediational processes
3. Identification

Question 8

How can vicarious reinforcement be defined?

Answer 8

Vicarious reinforcement refers to reinforcement which is not directly experienced but occurs through observing someone else being reinforced for a behaviour. This is a key factor in imitation.

Question 9

Is vicarious reinforcement an example of direct or indirect learning?

Answer 9

Vicarious reinforcement is an example of indirect learning.

Question 10

How do individuals learn through vicarious reinforcement?

Answer 10

For indirect learning to take place an individual observes the behaviour of others. The learner may imitate this behaviour but, in general, imitation only occurs if the behaviour is seen to be rewarded (reinforced) rather than punished. The learner therefore observes consequences of a behaviour as well as the behaviour itself.

Question 11

In what context is imitation likely to occur?

Answer 11

Imitation usually only occurs when the observed behaviour is being rewarded (reinforced).

Question 12

What are mediational processes?

Answer 12

Mediational processes are cognitive factors (i.e. thinking) that influence learning and come between stimulus and response.

Question 13

How do mediational processes influence learning?

Answer 13

Social learning theory is often described as a bridge between traditional learning theory and the cognitive approach because it focusses on how cognitive factors are involved in learning. These mental factors mediate (intervene) in the learning process to determine whether a new response is required.

Question 14

How many mediational processes in learning were identified by Bandura?

Answer 14

Bandura identified four mediational processes (i.e. mental processes).

Question 15

What were the four mediational processes identified by Bandura?

Answer 15

1. Attention
2. Retention
3. Motor reproduction
4. Motivation

Question 16

‘Attention’ is the first mediational process in learning. What is meant by attention?

Answer 16

Attention refers to the extent to which we notice certain behaviours.

Question 17

‘Retention’ is the second mediational process in learning. What is meant by retention?

Answer 17

Retention refers to how well the behaviour is remembered.

Question 18

‘Motor reproduction’ is the third mediational process in learning. What is motor reproduction?

Answer 18

Motor reproduction refers to the ability of the observer to perform the behaviour.

Question 19

‘Motivation’ is the fourth and final mediational process in learning. What is motivation?

Answer 19

Motivation refers to the will to perform the behaviour. This is often determined by whether the behaviour was rewarded or punished.

Question 20

Which two mediational processes relate to the learning of behaviour?

Answer 20

Attention and retention both relate to the learning of behaviour.

Question 21

Which two mediational processes relate to the performance of behaviour?

Answer 21

Motor reproduction and motivation both relate to the performance of behaviour.

Question 22

According to the social learning theory, is it necessary for learning and performance of behaviour to occur together?

Answer 22

Unlike traditional behaviourism, the learning and performance of behaviour need not occur together. Observed behaviours may be stored by the observer and reproduced at a later time.

Question 23

What is identification?

Answer 23

Identification refers to when an observer associates themselves with a role model and wants to be like the role model.

Question 24

How is identification involved in the learning process?

Answer 24

People, especially children, imitate the behaviour of people with whom they identify (role models). This process is called modelling.

Question 25

What is a role model?

Answer 25

A person becomes a role model if they are seen to possess similar characteristics to the observer and/or are attractive and have high status. Role models may not be physically present in the environment, and this has important implications for the influence of the media on behaviour.

Question 26

What is ‘modelling’?

Answer 26

From the observer’s perspective, modelling is imitating the behaviour of a role model. From the role model’s perspective, modelling is the precise demonstration of a specific behaviour that may be imitated by an observer.

Question 27

In 1961, Bandura conducted a study to investigate whether or not children imitate what they see. Explain what happened during this experiment.

Answer 27

The ‘Bobo doll experiment’:

Bandura recorded the behaviour of young children who watched an adult behaviour in an aggressive way towards a Bobo doll. The adult hit the doll with a hammer and shouted abuse at it. When these children were later observed playing with various toys, including a Bobo doll, they behaved much more aggressively towards the doll than those who had observed a non-aggressive adult.

In a second experiment, Bandura and Walters (1963) showed videos to children where an adult behaved aggressively towards the Bobo doll. One group of children saw the adult praised for their behaviour (‘well done’). A second group saw the adult punished for their aggression towards the doll, by being told off. The third group (control group) saw the aggression without any consequence. When given their own Bobo doll to play with, the first group showed much more aggression, followed by the third group and then the second.