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