Social learning theory
Are the choices of behaviour free?
While cognitive and motivational factors may appear to offer freedom of choice in behaviour, the individual's motivation is the product of prior learning and that therefore the choice over their actions are not free.
Self Efficacy
A person knowing their own ability to do something and be confident with it.
Attention
Attention must be paid to the role model or no learning will not take place. Clear cognitive element to his theory. Attention depend on many factors such as the distinctiveness of the behaviour being modeled and also factors within the person observing a model, such as their level of arousal. A child is more likely to attend to role models who are similar to themselves and so are more likely to attend to the behaviour of people of the same sex.
What are the 4 basic processes that are needed for learning to occur?
Attention,Retention, Reproduction and Motivation
Reductionalist
Breaking down highly complex behaviours to merely observational learning.
Strengths:
Commitment to scientific methods. Based on lab based methods which ensure reliability and inferences about cause and effect to be made. A weakness as the studies took place in rather artificial settings, for generalisability and ecological validity. Does allow for individual differences and acknowledges that cognitive and motivational factors can influence behaviour as factors as reflected in the four processes suggested by Bandura.
Retention
Having focused on the modelled behaviourthe individual must then retain or store what they have attended to. Humans store the behaviour that they observe in the form of mental images or verbal descriptors and are able to recall these later when reproducing the behaviour.
Motivation
Incentive- If a reward is offered, we are more likely to reproduce the behaviour. Intrinsic motivation refers to the doing of an activity where there might be inherant satisfaction rather than a physical outcome. EG/ if a young boy imitates his dads behaviour. He would feel good about his copied behaviour because it makes him feel more like his dad. Extrinsic motivation- refers to the motivator that is not is not so much a feeling or view but rather something tangible, something has a separate outcome eg/ a person receiving a trophy. Vicarious reinforcement- form of motivation that does not directly reward the individual themselves. Instead someone else is rewarded.
What is modelling?
Learning by observing and imitating someone else's behaviour.
What is the idea behind social learning theory?
Learning though observation. They believe that humans and animals learn by observing others around them by imitating or copying the behaviour.
How has the theory made a contribution to psychology?
Made a contribution to the psychology of aggression and gender development and has formed a basis for a range of treatments such as phobias. Modelling- based therapies, can be used with children or adults who may find behaviour therapies using direct conditioning difficult. Typically, modelling therapies involve learning through the observation and imitation of others. Having a positive role model can give individuals something is aim for, allowing them to change their behaviour in line with their role model.
What side is social learning theory on the nature and nurture development?
Nurture. Environment is the dominant influence on behaviour. In the psychology of attraction, there tend to be many similarities in what men and women perceive as attractive in the opposite sex. Men tend to rank youthfulness and signs of fertility as highly attractive whereas, women see status and resources as most attractive. It could be argued that this is learnt through social learning but it could be evolutionary demands have favoured certain features across time. It ignores factors and other biological features on behaviour. It does not the acknowledge the influence of free will. They believe that individuals are born with a small number of innate reflexes (stimulus response links that do not require learning). Complex behaviours are therefore a result of learning through interaction with the environment.
Reproduction
Reproduction of what was observed. Factors such as the physical capabilities of the individual as well as their own self observation of reproduction were factors that would have affected the showing of the behaviour.
What are role models?
The people who we observe and imitate.
How do you get reproduction of the behaviour?
The person must have self efficacy. They must be confident that they can succeed on the task/ behaviour they are repeating.
What did Mineka and Cook find?
They observed rhesus monkeys that were raised in captivity. They originally showed no fears towards snakes but did show alarm after watching the anxious reactions of wild monkeys in the presence of snakes.
