Aggression- social -SLT

Aggression- social -SLT

1. Social learning theory claims that a more traditional learning theory, which explains the acquisition of aggressive behaviour through direct experience & operant conditioning, is too simplistic.

   • SLT =we learn the specifics of aggressive behaviour by observing others: we learn the form aggression takes, how it's enacted, the situations that produce it & targets towards which it's directed.
     • When a child OBSERVES a ROLE MODEL behaving in an aggressive manner, they are likely to IMITATE (more if the model is REWARDED).
     • The reward REINFORCES aggressive behaviour =more likely to be repeated. ->learning the consequence of aggressive behaviour by watching others is called indirect or VICARIOUS REINFORCEMENT..
     • Bandura believed that vicarious learning is the most probable cause for aggression. & role models are people who we identify with at an early age.
       • Bandura went on to explain that the likelihood of a person going on to produce the aggressive behaviour themselves is determined by MENTAL REPRESENTATION & SELF-EFFICACY.

2. Mental representation

   • Bandura claimed that in order for SL to take place, the child must form mental representations of events in their social environment.
     • The child must also represent possible rewards & punishment for their aggressive behaviour-> expectancies of future outcomes.

3. Self-efficacy expectancies

   • ~children develop confidence in their ability to carry out the necessary aggressive actions.
     • children for whom this form of behaviour has been particularly dangerous in the past have less confidence in their ability to use aggression successfully to resolve conflicts.

4. Bandura's Bobo doll study (ao1/ao2)

   • ~involved children observing aggressive & non-aggressive adult models & then being tested for imitative learning in the absence of this model
     • Procedure
       • male & female participants 3-5yrs old. ->1/2 exposed to adult model interacting aggressively with lifesize bobo doll.
         • ->other 1/2 exposed to models non-aggressive towards doll.
           • following exposure to model, children were frustrated by being shown attractive toys which they were not allowed to play with.
     • Findings
       • ~children in aggression condition reproduced a good deal of physically & verbally aggressive behaviours resembling models. ~children in non-aggressive =virtually no aggression
         • ~aprox 1/3 of children in aggressive repeated verbal responses. & boys more imitative physically aggressive
   • Research support because it tells us that children do acquire aggressive responses as a result of watching others. & doesn't tell us why they are motivated to perform same behaviour
     • later study= Bandura & Walters= children who saw model being rewarded for agg acts showed high level of agg in their own play.

5. AO2

   • + research support from Bandura
   • -however, methodological criticism of Bandura =lab =lacks ecological validity =doesn't tell us about agg in real life -> just copying as never seen that doll.
   • + research support from Sprafkin (lassie)
   • - of both the theory & much of the supporting evidence is that it focuses only on the ways children learn aggression. =lack of understanding about how adults learn aggression. -> less likely to imitate what they observe.
   • + more research support from Philips-> boxing match =incr in muder rates in adult. =adults may observe the agg they see
   • +is able to explain cultural differences in agg behaviour -> dont have agg role models. !Kung San= aggression rare ->no physical punishment -> children fight 7 get distracted &physically separated
   • +strong RWA -> media- government restrictions on agg shown on tv shows. &school -parents/teacher showing consquence =developing model
     • -criticism from the biological approach -> defect gene responsible for the production of enzyme MAOA. =doesnt place importance on biological factors, which have a wealth of empirical support. -> need holistic approach.