Social Learning Theory

Question 1

Social Learning Theory

Answer 1

Is the idea that people learn behaviours through observing and imitating others. It combines elements of behaviourism and cognitive psychology.

Question 2

Mediational Processes

Answer 2

Cognitive factors that influence learning and comes between stimulus and response

Question 3

What are the Mediational Processes ?

Answer 3

• Attention
• Retention
• Reproduction
• Motivation

Question 4

Attention

Answer 4

• You must notice the behaviour in the first place.
• If you don’t pay attention, you won’t learn it.
• More likely to pay attention to role models who are attractive, high-status, or similar to you.

Question 5

Retention

Answer 5

• You must be able to remember the behaviour.
• The behaviour has to be stored in memory so it can be reproduced later
• Involves visual and verbal encoding

Question 6

Reproduction

Answer 6

• You must be physically able to perform the behaviour
• Some behaviours may be beyond your ability

Question 7

Motivation

Answer 7

• You must want to replicate the behaviour
• It is influenced by whether you expect a reward or punishment and by past experiences or personal values

Question 8

Imitation

Answer 8

Copying the behaviours of others

Question 9

Modelling (observers perspective)

Answer 9

Modelling is imitating the behaviour of a role model

Question 10

Modelling (role models perspective)

Answer 10

Modelling is the precise demonstration of a specific behaviour that may be imitated by an observer

Question 11

Identification

Answer 11

When an observer associates themselves with a role model and wants to be like them

Question 12

Vicarious Reinforcement

Answer 12

Reinforcement which is not directly experienced but occurs through observing someone else being reinforced for a behaviour

Question 13

Bandura’s Research (Aim, Sample and Procedure)

Answer 13

Investigated whether children learn aggressive behaviour through observation of adult role models.

• There 72 participants, aged 3-6, boys and girls.
• They were divided into 3 groups:
  1. Those that observed an aggressive model
  2. Those that observed a non-aggressive model
  3. And a control group that had no model
• Children were taken to a room with toys, including a Bobo doll, and their behaviour was observed

Question 14

Bobo Doll Experiment Findings

Answer 14

• Children who saw the aggressive model were more likely to imitate aggressive behaviour
• Boys were more physically aggressive than girls
• Children were more likely to imitate same-sex models