People learn new behaviours through observational learning of the social factors in their environment. This means that:
• We learn specifics of aggressive behaviour.
• If people observe positive outcomes of aggression, they are more likely to model and imitate the behaviour observed, supported by Bandura.
e.g. If children observe a naughty child benefitting from their behaviour through attention, then they are likely to copy.
Observation
• Children learn their aggressive responses through observation and imitation.
• Skinner suggests operant conditioning, however Bandura suggests behaviour is learned through imitation of role models.
• Children also learn about the consequences of aggressive behaviour by watching others being reinforced or punished. This is vicarious reinforcement.
• Lots of aggressive behaviour is observed from TV and films.
• By observing consequences, a child learns what is considered appropriate.
• This enables them to learn behaviours which they repeat.
Mental Representation
• Bandura (1986) claimed that in order for social learning to take place, the child must form mental representations of events in their social environment.
• Child will display learned behaviour if the expectation of reward is greater than the expectation of punishment.
Production of behaviour
Maintenance through direct experience - A child who has a history of successfully bullying children will therefore come to attach considerable value to aggression.
Self-efficacy experiences - If aggressive acts have been disastrous, they have less confidence to use aggression and turn to other means to resolve conflict.
Social Cognitive Perspective
• Bandura combines logic of social psychology and cognitive psychology in the cognitive perspective.
• Bandura though that behaviour may be motivated by inherent psychological factors and socio-enviromental factors. He argued that the individual and the social environment were linked (reciprocal determinism).
Conditions/Methods for effective social learning
Attention - Someone can only learn through observation if they attend to the model's behaviour.
Retention - To model the behaviour, it needs to be remembered and placed into LTM.
Reproduction - The individual needs to be able to reproduce the behaviour. The observer must possess the physical capabilities of the modelled behaviour.
Motivation - An individual expects to receive positive reinforcement for the modelled behaviour.
Studies and Evaluation
General Evaluation
+ Bandura's SLT suggests why children might copy
+ Explains how behaviour of role models can be imitated (TV shows etc)
+ Focused attention of power of media (leading to bulimia, anorexia e.g.)
+ Applies to development of psychological disorders (phobias)
+ Experimental support
- Ethical issues
- Reductionist
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