Social Learning Theory in Aggression

Indirect and direct reinforcement

Operant Conditioning

observational learning

positive reinforcement

negative reinforcement

punishment

child observes models being aggressive and works out how aggressive behaviour is performed

child observes consequences of aggressive behaviour

behaviour more likely to happen again

behaviour less likely to happen again

Mediational Processes

Attention

Retention

Reproduction

Motivation

the observer needs to have a reason to imitate the behaviour and will only do so if there is the expectation of some kind of reward

the observer needs to be able to remember the models aggressive behaviour, forming a mental representation of how the behaviour is carried out

the observer must notice or pay attention to the model's aggressive behaviour

the observer must be able to replicate/repeat the behaviour

Self-efficacy

An individual's confidence in their ability to be aggressive grows as they learn that aggression can bring awards

we need to believe out actions will achieve our desired goal

Bandura

bobo doll

children saw an adult being rewarded

more likely to be aggressive

children saw adult being punished

children saw adult facing no consequence

supports SLT of aggressive because they showed that, when children who had been exposed to an adult model behaving aggressively towards a bobo doll and hammer the children imitated the aggressive behaviours

this suggests that behaviours had been learned through the process of modelling/observational learning as suggested by the SLT