Explain social learning theory, making reference to two studies.
Social learning theory (Bandura, 1977, 1986)
indirect forms of learning (vicarious learning) and indirect forms of reinforcement (vicarious reinforcement)
humans learn behavior through observational learning (one form of vicarious learning)
observational learning: observe models and imitating their behaviors
Factors affecting social learning:
attention: the person must first pay attention to the model
retention: the observer must be able to remember the behavior that has been observed
motor reproduction: the observer has to be able to replicate the action
motivation: learners must want to demonstrate what they have learned
Factors that influence the motivation to imitate the behavior:
consistency: the observer are more likely to imitate a model if they behave in a way that is consistent across situation
identification with the model: a tendency to imitate models who are like ourselves
rewards/punishments: people learn from observing what happens to others (vicarious reinforcement)
liking the model: warm and friendly models
Bandura (1965)
Aim: Investigate social learning of aggression
Procedure:
indirect forms of learning (vicarious learning) and indirect forms of reinforcement (vicarious reinforcement)
humans learn behavior through observational learning (one form of vicarious learning)
observational learning: observe models and imitating their behaviors
Factors affecting social learning:
attention: the person must first pay attention to the model
retention: the observer must be able to remember the behavior that has been observed
motor reproduction: the observer has to be able to replicate the action
motivation: learners must want to demonstrate what they have learned
Factors that influence the motivation to imitate the behavior:
consistency: the observer are more likely to imitate a model if they behave in a way that is consistent across situation
identification with the model: a tendency to imitate models who are like ourselves
rewards/punishments: people learn from observing what happens to others (vicarious reinforcement)
liking the model: warm and friendly models
Bandura (1965)
Aim: Investigate social learning of aggression
Procedure:
- children aged 3 to 6 years were divided into groups
- they were shown with a violent film in which the adult acts violently towards a Bobo doll
Control Group
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Model-reward condition
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Model-punish condition
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- after watching the models, children were placed in a room with toys
- their behavior was observed for a period of 10 minutes
- control and model-rewarded groups showed an equal level of aggressiveness towards the Bobo doll
- model-punished condition showed significantly fewer aggressive acts
- however, when the children were asked to reproduce the behavior of the model (and were rewarded by each act of aggression they displayed), they all act aggressively regardless of which original condition they were in
Bandura's study supports the following features of SLT:
- vicarious (observational) learning: learned aggressive behavior by observing adult
- the learning manifested during the second part of the study was based on the vicarious reinforcement or punishment as the children were never rewarded or punished themselves
- reinforcement or punishment was necessary for performance not learning: all children behaved in an equally aggressive manner towards the Bobo doll when rewarded to do so
Charlton et al . (2002)
Aim: To investigate whether children in St. Helena would exhibit more aggressive beahvior after the introduction of TV to the island
Procedure:
there was no increase in aggressive or antisocial behavior
Why?
observer must be motivated to imitate the behavior
Aim: To investigate whether children in St. Helena would exhibit more aggressive beahvior after the introduction of TV to the island
Procedure:
- natural experiment
- children (aged 3 to 8 years) were observed before and after the introduction of television through cameras set up in the playgrounds of 2 primary schools on the island
- the level of aggression in TV matched what children in the UK were exposed to
- the researcher also conducted interviews with teachers, parents and some other older children
there was no increase in aggressive or antisocial behavior
Why?
- parents and teachers said that antisocial behavior was not accepted on the island and that there was a high degree of social control in community, suggests that people may learn aggressive behavior but they may not exhibit it
- social and cultural factors also play a role in what behaviors are acceptable, so even though the children had no doubt learned aggressive behavior, they did not show it
observer must be motivated to imitate the behavior