Social Learning Theory approach

Question 1

What is the SLT?

Answer 1

• A bridge between behaviourist and cognitive approach
• Aknowledges we might learn a behaviour but chose not to perform it ourselves
• Assumes all behaviourr is learned from the environment but does not take into account how people learn behaviour

Question 2

SLT definition

Answer 2

• A way of explaining behaviour that includes both direct and indirect reinforcement combining learning theory with role of cognitive factors

Question 3

What is imitation?

Answer 3

• Copying behaviours of others

Question 4

What is identification?

Answer 4

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

Question 5

What is modelling

Answer 5

• From observers perspective, modelling is the precise demnstration of a specific behaviour that may be imitated by observer

Question 6

What is vicarious reinforcement?

Answer 6

• Not directly experienced but occurs through observing someone else being reinforced for their behaviour

Question 7

What are mediational processes?

Answer 7

• Cognitive factors that influence learning and come between stimulus and response

Question 8

Core assumptions

Answer 8

• Behvaiour is learned from experience and people in their environment are key to learning
• Accepts humans have a thought processes and have control over their behaviour
• Mind, behaviour and environment play a role in learning
• Learning occurs through a process of reinforcement

Question 9

Difference between behaviourism and cognitive factors

Answer 9

• Behaviourism focuses on human behaviour in response to reward/ punishment
• Cognitive focuses on internal mental processes between stimulus and response
  
  • 4 mediating cognitive factors: attention, retention, motivation and reproduction

Question 10

Bandura (1961) Bobo doll study

Answer 10

• Children shown video of adults hitting bobo doll and shown 1 of 3 endings:
  
  • Adult walking in and commenting positively
  • Adult walking in and commenting negatively
  • No comment made
• Then the kids individually left in room with bobo doll
• Results showed boys are more agressive than girls, vicarious reward had no effect on behaviour and vicarious punishment meant girls showed less of that behaviour

Question 11

Conclusion of Bandura study

Answer 11

• Aggression is a behaviour that is imitated, vicarious reinforcement had no impact but vicarious punishment did

Question 12

Evaluation of Bandura study

Answer 12

• May be extraneous variables like wtaching violent films
• Ethical issue as children exposed to violence
• Bobo doll designed to be hit, how else were they supposed to play with it?
• Bobo doll not real so we don’t know if the kids would hit real people, lowering the validity

Question 13

What are models?

Answer 13

• People who influence behaviour
• May become a role model if seen to have similar characterstics to the observer like agee, sex, ethnicity and have a high status

Question 14

What are the types of models?

Answer 14

• Live model (real)
• Symbolic model (not real, cartoon e.g.)

Question 15

How do humans learn through modelling?

Answer 15

• By observing a behaviour and imitating it
• Attention, retention, motivation and reproduction
• An observer associates themselves with the model and wants to be like them. They observe their behaviour and remember it. They then decide if they have the motivation to reproduce or imitate the behaviour based on factors like age etc.

Question 16

Types of reinforcement

Answer 16

• Vicarious
• Direct
• A girl is getting a trophy (direct reinforcement) and people watching are being vicariously reinforced)

Question 17

Strengths of approach

Answer 17

• Accounts for increase in eating disorders and is strength as not previously understood
• Uses lab experiments which means replication more possible due to high levels of control, increasing internal validity
• Builds upon weaknesses of behaviourism and cognitive approach by taking into account all humans are different and react differently. Recognises mediational processes in humans and explains human learning

Question 18

Limitations of approach

Answer 18

• Not all behaviour explained by approach as little reference to biological approach . Ignored biological influences on learning
• Uses lab experiments , limitation as participants may show demand characteristics and main purpose of bobo doll is to hit it so children behaved in an expected way
• Genetics plays a part in aggression which isn’t mentioned and nor is body chemistry which is a factor in modelling and imitation