Social Learning Theory

Meditational processes

- Bandura claimed that individuals must form mental representations of the behaviour being displayed by a model and the probable consequences of that behaviour - In the future, after learning the behaviour we might display the behaviour if we mentally expect that the consequences will be positive and not negative

How was vicarious reinforcement shown in one variation of Bandura's study

- Bandura found that if children observed a model that was rewarded for aggressive behaviour they were more likely to imitate the aggressive behaviour than if the model had been punished - Shows that we don't need to directly experience rewards or punishments to learn and that we can learn through vicarious reinforcement

Bandura's bobo doll study (1961)

- Bandura gathered a sample of children and split them in half. One group watched a video of an adult model acting aggressively towards a bobo doll (e.g. pushing, hitting with a mallet etc) and the other watched a non-aggressive model in the same situation - The children then separately entered the room where this was filmed and were left with a life-size bobo doll - Bandura found that the children who had observed the aggressive model reproduced more physically and verbally aggressive behaviour than those who viewed the non-aggressive model, providing evidence that behaviours are learnt through observation

What is the social learning theory?

- Based on the behaviourist approach - Created by Bandura (1986) - The idea that we learn through observing others and imitating behaviours that are rewarded

Imitation

- Behaviours observed off of models are copied - Imitation is more likely to occur if the model has desirable characteristics, the perceived ability to do the observed behaviour is good and the observed consequences of the behaviour are good

Strengths and applications of the social learning theory

- Has increased our understanding of human behaviour e.g. Akers (1998) suggested that criminal behavior may be more likely if a young individual is exposed to models who commit criminal activities - The methods used to provide evidence for social learning are scientific meaning the experiments are replicable and objective and can be used to establish cause and effect leading to greater reliability

What makes us more likely to imitate a model?

- If they are similar to us e.g. same sex - If they are likeable and attractive - If they have high status and are famous

Modelling

- In order for social learning to take place, someone must carry out an attitude or behaviour that is going to be learned. This person is called a model - The model can either be live (e.g. parent, teacher) or symbolic (e.g. TV character). We then pay attention to the model and reproduce the behaviour through imitation

Limitations of the social learning theory

- It may not be exposure to models that determine our behaviour but instead that certain pre-existing attitudes will cause us to seek out similar individuals e.g. deviant people will seek out other deviant people as it is more fun - Bandura's study lacked mundane reality as the task was uncommon, it also lacked ecological validity as viewing film of violent acts and then being placed in an identical situation is very artificial, reducing validity - Social learning theory puts all of the explanation on modelling, imitating etc when instead it is argued that anything can influence behaviour, making it difficult to show that there is one main causal influence

Vicarious reinforcement

- The idea that learning is not a result of direct reinforcement but instead is a result of observing someone else being reinforced for that behaviour - Individuals learn about the likely consequences of a behaviour by observing others

How is the social learning theory different from the behaviourist approach?

The behaviourist approach says we learn through direct experience whereas the SLT allows for observation and cognitive processes

Identification

The extent to which an individual relates to a model - Similar, likeable and attractive and high status and famous are all more likely to increase identification