Social cognitive theory

BANDURA'S BOBO DOLL STUDY: Method

-3 conditions- IV -72 children (36 boys and 36 girls) aged 3-6 and they were randomly split into two groups -Group one observed a model being agressive towards a bobo doll. All adults had the same script -Group two was in room without a model- non aggressive condition but frustration was instigated the children's subsequent behaviour was the DV and the researchers had a checklist of behaviour

Perry, perry and Rasmussen: Conclusion

-Aggression in children can be predicted based on their feelings of self efficacy and outcome expectancies. Proves that behavior is influenced by self efficacy and outcome expectancies which supports SCT -Children's perceptions of their self efficacy and children's knowledge of the consequences of actions influences the extent in which they display aggressive behaviours this supports SCT

All studies evaluation (high reliability)

-All studies have high reliability as standardized procedures were used meaning the study can be replicated to ge the same results

certain conditions that are necessary for social learning to occur

-Attention -Retention -Motivation

Evaluation of SCT: studies that support SCT are correlation

-Carney and levine it is difficult to establish with certainty that it was "16 and Pregnant", and not other factors, that led to decreases in teen pregnancy. There may have been other differences in the geographical areas compared which might explain the decrease in teen pregnancy other than the show. In Perry's study the children

BANDURA'S BOBO DOLL STUDY: Results

-Exposure to agressive role model showed more aggression -Imitations with same sex model was more likely

Carney and levine: Results

-Geographic areas whereby the show as popular had great decreases in teenage pregnacny compared to other areas -After a new episode of "16 and Pregnant" was shown, there was a spike in Google searches for terms like "how to get birth control"

Carney and Levine:Evaluation (High ecological validty)

-High ecological validity as it used real life teens in natural conditions

Carney and levine: Method

-Identified geographic areas (ex. particular cities) where the TV show "16 and Pregnant" was particularly popular -Measured whether these geographic areas had greater decreases in teen pregnancy compared to other areas where the show was less popular -Analyzed Google searches immediately following a new episode of "16 and Pregnant"

Identification

-Learning is more likely to occur if an individual can closely identify with a model -This is enhanced when there is similarity between the model and the observer -This is proven by Bandura's bobo doll study whereby children were more likely to imitate same sex models

Key aspects of social cognitive theory

-Recipricoal dterminism -Human agency -Identification -Self efficacy

BANDURA'S BOBO DOLL STUDY: Conclusion

-Supports SCT that people learn through observing others then imitating their behaviour. -This study supports the prediction of social cognitive theory that behavior will be imitated when there is identification with the model - and that's why boys were more likely to imitate aggression when the model was male.

Self efficacy

-The extent in which an observer feel they can master/replicate a behavior -Very important aspect of SCT as if individual feel they cannot model observed behavior then they won't.

Describe SCT

-Vicarious learning: observational learning (observe a model they IDENTIFY with (identification is strengthened with similarity) -A- Attention to model -R- retention remember features M- self efficacy to complete task -Outcome expectancy -Human agency: control over behavior -Reciprocal determinism: environment, personal, behavior interact = bidirectional -Outcome expectancy

Social learning theory:

-people observe models they IDENTIFY with, VICARIOUS learning takes place which may lead to imitation of models -an individual learns to do or avoid a behaviour by observing the actions of others.

Perry, perry and Rasmussen: Method

160 children were sampled then categorised as either being aggressive or non aggressive. Children responded to two questionnaires one on their self efficacy in performing aggressive behaviours (perceptions of their ability to perform aggression) and the other on children's outcome expectancies of aggressive beahviour. (punishments or rewards)

Perry, perry and Rasmussen: Results

Aggressive children reported it was easier to perform aggression and were more confident that aggressive behaviours would lead to rewards.

Carney and Levine:Evaluation (No definite causal link between the show and pregnancy rate)

As this was a correlational study, it is difficult to establish with certainty that it was "16 and Pregnant", and not other factors, that led to decreases in teen pregnancy. There may have been other differences in the geographical areas compared which might explain the decrease in teen pregnancy

Carney and levine: Aim

Assess the impact of the show "16 and pregnant" on teen sexual behaviour and the rate of teen pregnancy

Reciprocal determinism

Bandura's idea that though our environment affects us, we also affect our environment -A model of 3 interacting factors: personal (cognitive, emotional and physical), behavior and environment -These factors influence each other in a BIDIRECTIONAL way -For example, a person's emotional state (personal factor) might affect their behavior this will then affect the behavior of others (environment)

Bandura Suggested they are two types of learning: Direct (behaviorism)

Direct learning: an individual learns to repeat or avoid a behaviour from the consequences of that action. (Classical and operant conditioning)

Evaluation of SCT (Ignores other factors that might affect learning)

Explains learning only using social and cognitive explanation. Compelertely ignores biological factors that might have an effect on behaviour/ learning. The study by Raine et al. (1997) shows that aggression is linked to certain brain deficits, like a weak prefrontal cortex; people with these deficits might need no excuse to start behaving aggressively and misinterpret the role model's behaviour as an invitation to do so. This also proves that social factors such as identification might not even be necessary for aggressive behaviour just the presentation of violent toys might be a trigger

Evaluation of SCT ( challenges past notions of behavior only being direct)

Explains vicarious learning, how people can learn via observing then imitating. This is a significant improvement over earlier theories of learning that involved directed learning in which an inedividual had to do a behaviour themselves and learn through reward and punishments (classical condition and operant conditions). These theories of learning failed to explain how people know whether or not to do a behaviour without having done it themselves

Evaluation of SCT: high apllicabiltyl

Has a high world applicability as it can be used to teach teens and children positive behaviours or show negative consequences of indesirable behaviours.

Human agency

Human agency is the capability to make our own decisions regardless of external factors. -We do not simply react and imitate our environment we go through processes that exert influence over our own behavior such as intentionality and forethough

Attention

In order to learn observers must give attention to the modelled behaviour

Retention

In order to reproduce observed behaviour, observers must remember features of the behaviour

Bandura Suggested they are two types of learning: Indirect (observational learning)

Indirect learning: an individual learns to do or avoid a behaviour by observing the actions of others.

BANDURA'S BOBO DOLL STUDY: Evaluation (lacked validity)

Lack ecological validity. The children were put in a strange situation, exposed to some unusual adult behaviour and given toys to play with which encouraged them to act unnaturally. Bobo dolls are usually designed to be hit so this migh have acted as a demand characteristic making the children think the experimenters wanted them to play with it in that way. Moreover it was a novel situation, the kid might have imitated such aggression because they didnt know what else to do

Motivation

Observers must want to reproduce the behaviour and expect a certain outcome from the behaviou

Social cognitive theory

Social cognitive theory proposes that we learn through observation, cognition and imitation. We observe certain behaviours and go through a cognitive process that evaluates rewards/ punishment of the behaviours then we imitate it. However, human behaviour is not determined by external factors alone, human agency plays a part. Human agency is the capabiulity to make our own decisions regardless of external factors. Factors such as intentionality and forethought influences behaviour.

Evaluation of SCT: studies that support SCT were highly unrepresentative

Studies that support SCT used highly unrepresentative samples that were ethnocentric or limited to a certain age group or both. For example in Bandura's study the samples were all taken from the same nursery, which was for the students and staff at one of the world's top universities. These children might have unusual home lives and particularly educated parents, making them unrepresentative of normal children. Results cannot be generalised to other children from other cultures. Carney and levine's study and perry's study all have unrepresentative samples.

Perry, perry and Rasmussen: Evaluation (self reporting)

The children were self reporting this means self desirability bias might have affected the results because some children might have lowered their self efficacy towards performing an aggressive behaviour to present themselves as better children. Additionally demand characteristics could have affected the results, children might put answers they think the expereminters want not what they actually feel.

Carney and levine: Conclusions

The show "16 and pregnant" had a positive impact in reducing teenage pregancy -Study support SCT by the role of outcome expectancies. By observing negative outcomes of teenage pregnancy (financial problems, difficulty completing school) teens are less likely to have unprotected sex.

Perry, perry and Rasmussen: Evaluation high reliability

The study has a high reliability as standerdised procedures was used meaning it can be replicated to get the same results. Additionally, a questionnaire was used so quantitative data would be produced which allowed for smooth comparison between the children in the study and would allow for easy comparison with future replicas of ther study

Perry, perry and Rasmussen: Evaluation (The children were not actually observed in displayiong aggressive behaviour) (TRIANGULATION)

This study is an insight of how they think they will act in an aggressive situation therefore we do not know if these reports of self efficacy and outcome expectancies are accurate in determing how the child will act. We can use triangulation to improve this study by conducting experiments that observe how the children will act. First the children will fill the questionnaires then they will participate in tasks which will evoke agression out of them then the researchers can compare if their beliefs of how they will act affects how they actually act. The observer need a checklist of behaviour.

Perry, perry and Rasmussen: Aim

To explore the links between aggression and two cognitive factors that might influence children's decision on whether to be aggressive

BANDURA'S BOBO DOLL STUDY: Aim

To see if observing an adult model behaving aggressively towards a doll would cause subsequent aggressive behavior in children

BANDURA'S BOBO DOLL STUDY: Evaluation (high reliability)

Very reliable as it had standerdised procedures which means the study can be replicated Bandura also used two observers behind the one-way mirror. This creates inter-rater reliability because a behaviour had to be noted by both observers otherwise it didn't count.

BANDURA'S BOBO DOLL STUDY: Evaluation (unrepresentative samples)

the samples were all taken from the same nursery, which was for the students and staff at one of the world's top universities. These children might have unusual home lives and particularly educated parents, making them unrepresentative of normal children. Results cannot be generalised