The Social Learning Theory Flashcards
What is SLT
Learning through imitation. Watching behaviour and copying it.
What did Albert Bandura propose
SLT is a development of the behaviourist approach not a part of it.
Argued classical and operant conditioning aren’t accountable for all human behaviour
He believed there were mental processes between the stimulus and response.
Assumptions of SLT
- agrees with behaviourist that most behaviour is learnt through experience
- concerned with human behaviour rather than animals
- learning occurs through observation and imitation of role models
- learning can occur indirectly
- there is mental processes between the stimulus and response
What are the two types of role model (SLT)
Live model- people who are present in our environment (in person)
Symbolic models- people present in the media ( e.g. celebrities)
Who make good role models
People that are…
- same gender
- same age
- high status
- admired or respected
What is vicarious reinforcement
That imitation is more likely to occur if a role model is positively reinforced
What was Bandura’s Bobo Doll experiment
- Bandura recorded the behaviour of young children who watched an adult behave in an aggressive way towards the Bobo doll
- The adult hit the doll with a hammer, kicked it, punched it and shouted abuse at it
- the children then played with toys in a room with the Bobo doll
- he then observed how the children acted
72 children took part split equally into 3 groups
24 aggressive role model
24 non aggressive role model
24 in a control group
Each of these groups was either shown a male or female role model
An equal amount of boys and girls were in each group
72
24, 24, 24
12,12 12, 12
6,6 6,6 6,6 6,6
What were the results of the Bobo doll experiment
- children observed the aggressive model act more aggressively to the Bobo doll than the children who observed the non-aggressive model
- boys imitated more aggressively than girls
- boys were more likely to imitate same sex models than girls
The LONG ARRM for modelling to occur
A Attention - observer must pay attention to the role models behaviour
R Retention - the observer must remember the role models actions
R Reproduction - the observer must be able to transfer the memory into actions
M Motivation - the individual needs a reason to imitate the behaviour
Strengths of SLT
- considers cognitive factors of learning
- based on lab experiments (scientific)
- explains the learning of some complex behaviour e.g. aggression or eating disorders
- helpful in development of age restrictions
Limitations to SLT
- doesn’t account for biological explanations
- doesn’t account for free will and moral values
- Bandura’s results lack ecological validity
