Evaluation

Evaluation

1. Supporting Research

   • There's a lot of research in support of SLT. E.G Three studies led by Bandura
   • There's a lot of studies that support SLT, e.g The three studies by Bandura
   • COOK&MINEKA (1990): monkeys to watch a video of another monkey reacting with fear to a snake. When the observer monkey had a chance to get food, they would not if it involved a snake.
   • Research is strictly scientific- being carried out in lab conditions and using ONE-WAY mirrors and MULTIPLE OBSERVERS for INTER-RATER RELIABILITY.
   • Explains how humans learn complex behaviour so quickly. Huge amounts of behaviour can be learned 'in one go' through OBSERVATION and IMITATION.

2. Opposing Research

   • Much of the research into SLT is carried out on children or animals.
     • May be a problem generalising findings from children or animals to adult humans.
       • However, monkeys and chimpanzees are quite close to humans in evolutionary and human children also have enough similarity to adults in the way we learn so this research may be CREDIBLE.
     • May not be a representative sample
   • SLT ignores nature side- some people may be born with agression and so do not need role models. These people may in fact seek out role models.

3. Differences

   • Different to Operant and Classical conditioning. SLT includes cognitions as well as behaviour.
     • e.g a child learns to talk by watching and imitating adults- SLT is more REALISTIC
   • Operant conditioning and SLT overlap in VICARIOUS LEARNING (person sees a role model being reinforced for their behaviour.
     • You are much more likely to imitate behaviour you see being reinforced.
   • association and reinforcement may explain why a person continues with a behaviour after they have imitated it.

4. Application

   • SLT is used alongside SYSTEMATIC DESENSITISATION
     • Example: someone with a phobia of spiders might not want to approach a picture of a spider in an early stage of the therapy. If they see someone they trust approach the picture and pick it up without harm, they will see there is no bad consequences. If they see this person being praised by the therapist, this is VICARIOUS REINFORCEMENT.