Social Learning Theory;
Bandura, Ross and Ross (1961);
Aim; To find out if children would show more aggressive behaviour if exposed to an aggressive role model. And to see if the sex of the role model had any affect.
Independent variables; Aggressive vs non-aggressive role model. Whether the role model is same or opposite sex. Gender of the child.
Dependent variable; Number of different behaviour types shown (eg; physical or verbal).
Sample used; 72 children, 36 boys/girls, aged 3-5 years.
Experiment type; Lab experiment.
Conclusion; Bandura concludes that behaviour can be learned by imitation even if it hasn't been reinforced. In fact complex patterns of behaviour can be learned through imitation without needing reinforcement for each part.
Social Learning Theory;
Description; Social learning theory suggests that we learn by observing role models and imitating behaviours that are rewarded.
Attention (stimuli focus) --> Retention (rehearse, encode) --> Motor reproduction (positive feedback) --> Motivation (reward reinforce)
Several processes that take place for learning to happen;
1 - Modelling; In order fro social learning to take place someone must model the attitude or behaviour to be learned. A live model may be a parent/teacher. A symbolic model would be someone portrayed in the media such as an action model. For a model to be successful the person learning must identify them. In that they view themselves to be similar to the model.
2 - Vicarious reinforcement; Bandura and Walters (1963) notices that children who observed for their aggressive actions were much more likely to imitate the behaviour shown by the model. Vicarious reinforcement therefore is when your behaviour is influenced by the perceived reward you may have for imitating it.
Meditational processes; These are cognitive processes in which the observer forms mental representations of the behaviour displayed and the probable consequences of imitating the behaviour.
Step 1; Attention - we pay attention to a role model who we share characteristic (identify) with.
Step 2; Retention - we store the observation in the long term memory.
Step 3; Reproduction - we must be able to physcially reproduce the behaviour we have seen and stored.
Step 4; Motivation - we must be motivated to reproduce the behaviour eg; via vicarious reinforcement.
Explaining shoplifting;
Step 1; Attention - I have seen a role model (the rock) steal a bag of sweets
Step 2; Retention - I store the memory of stealing sweets in the LTM.
Step 3; Reproduction - I possess the motor abilities to steal sweet.
Step 4; Motivation - if I steal the sweets I will be seen as cool, like the role model, vicarious reinforcement.
Evaluation;
Social learning theory is supported by empirical evidence. For example, Bandura's bobo doll experiment found that children are more likely to be aggressive when they are exposed to role models which portray aggressive characteristics. This is particularly true for the same gender. This suggests that social learning theory is applicable to children because it has been proved in a laboratory experiment.
However, one criticism of Bandura's experiment was that it took place in a laboratory experiment and therefore lacked in mundane realism. For example, the activity involved children being in a room with toy guns, hammers and a bobo doll which they may be unused to at home. In particular, girls are unlikely, due to gender stereotypes, to engage with these toys. As a result, the task investigate for the girls was reflective of their real lives and therefore is hard to generalise to the rest of the female population as they may react differently in the real world.
A further weakness of Social Learning Theory is that it overlooks alternative explanations for behaviour which may be equally or more valid. For example, the hormone testosterone plays a key role in aggression and is part of the reason that boys tend to be more aggressive than girls as they have higher amounts of it. As a result, you can argue that Social Learning Theory takes a reductionist point of view in regards of behaviour as any behaviours can be due to a mix of learning and the individuals predisposed biology.