Social Learning Theory

Social Learning Theory

1. Bandura agreed with the behaviorists that behavior is learnt through experience however he proposed a different mechanism than conditioning. He argued that we learn through observation and imitation of others’ behavior. This theory focuses not only on the behavior itself but also on the mental processes involved in learning so it is not a pure behaviorist theory. Mediational processes are cognitive factors that influence learning and come between stimulus and response. This includes attention, retention, motor reproduction and motivation.

2. Stages of Social Learning Theory

   • Attention: The individual needs to pay attention to the behavior and its consequences and form a mental representation of the behavior.
   • Retention: Storing the observed behavior in LTM where it can stay for a long period of time. Imitation is not always immediate.
   • Reproduction: The individual must be able (have the ability and skills) to reproduce the observed behavior.
   • Motivation: Individuals must expect to receive the same positive reinforcements (vicarious reinforcement) for imitating the observed behavior that they have seen the model receiving.
   • Imitation is more likely to occur if the model (the person who performs the behavior) is positively reinforced. This is called vicarious reinforcement. Imitation is also more likely if we identify with the model. We see them as sharing some characteristics with us i.e. similar age, gender, social status as we identify with them.

3. The Bobo Doll Study

   • Method: It was a lab experiment. Sample: American children, 36 boys and 36 girls aged between 3-6 years old . Group 1: 12 girls and 12 boys were shown a model hitting the doll with a hammer and shouting at the doll. Group 2: 12 girls and 12 boys were shown a model shown a non-aggressive model. Group 3: 12 girls and 12 boys (control group) were not shown a model. Then the children were taken to a room with some attractive toys but were told not to play with the toys (aggression arousal). Then the children were taken individually in a room containing a bobo doll, non-aggressive toys like pencils and plastic farm animals and aggressive toys like a hammer and a pistol.
   • Results: The children who had observed the aggressive model (group 1) were more aggressive than the children from the other two groups. Group 1 imitated specific aggressive acts that were displayed by the model. Boys imitated more physically aggressive acts than girls. There was no difference in the verbal aggression between boys and girls.
   • Conclusion: This supports SLT as it shows that children imitate behavior of role model even if the behavior is aggressive.

4. Bandura and Walters

   • The bobo doll experiment was repeated, but this time the three groups were exposed to an aggressive model and saw different consequences for the model: Group 1: the model was praised Group 2: the model was punished (told off) Group 3: no consequences for the aggressive behavior
   • The bobo doll experiment was repeated, but this time the three groups were exposed to an aggressive model and saw different consequences for the model: Group 1: the model was praised Group 2: the model was punished (told off) Group 3: no consequences for the aggressive behavior
   • Conclusion: This shows that imitation is more likely to occur when the model is positively reinforced, demonstrating the importance of vicarious reinforcement.

5. Applications

   • This theory is used to explain the influence of the media on behavior. This has been used in court in the case of Jamie Bulger’s murder(1990).
   • The perpetrators, who were themselves children, claimed that they had been influenced by the film Child Play 3. However these children came from a disturbed family where they might have witness real life violence and social deprivation.

6. Evaluation

   • Social learning theory is supported by research Bandura at al. (1961) and Badura and Walters (1963) however these were laboratory experiments and the task did not reflect the way the participants behave in their normal life. At this young age parents would guide their understanding of the situation and moderate their behavior this was not the case in the studies as the children were on their own. The children were aggressive towards a doll which they know does not feel pain and cannot retaliate; their behavior might be different towards another child. Furthermore the children were in an unfamiliar environment they might have thought that they were expected to behave like the model (demand characteristics). The participants were young children, older children and adults might not have imitated the aggressive behavior as they have more developed moral values.
   • The theory does not explain why the boys imitated the physical aggressive behavior more than the girls. Other factors must be involved such as biological factors like testosterone.
   • SLT can explain the difference of behavior between different cultures as if a behavior is not displayed it cannot be imitated, this can explain why groups such as the Amish are non-violent.
   • SLT can be used to explain the influence of media on aggressive behavior.
   • It is a more complete explanation of human behavior than conditioning as it takes into account cognitive factors in learning. However it does not take into account free will and moral values.