Bandura claimed that people learn through observation
Imitation
Copying the behaviour of others
Identification
When an observer associates
themselves with a role model and
wants to be like the role model
Identification is more likely to occur with role
models who have similar characteristics to the
observer, such as age, gender and social class.
Role models don't have to be physically
present, e.g. cartoon characters, celebrities
Modelling
Observer's perspective
Imitating the behaviour of
a role model
Role model's perspective
Demonstration of a
behaviour that may be
imitated by an observer
Vicarious Reinforcement
Also known as indirect reinforcement
This involves an observer seeing a
behaviour being reinforced/punished on
someone else
Bandura, 1963
Children were shown videos of adults behaving
aggressively towards a Bobo doll. One group of
children saw the adult praised, another saw them
punished, and the last group saw no
consequences
The children were then allowed to play with
Bobo doll, and those who saw the
aggressive behaviour reinforced were more
likely to also act aggressively to the doll.
Mediational Processes
Social learning theory is often seen as the
bridge between behaviourism and the
cognitive approach as it takes into
account mediational processes
Attention
The extent to which a behaviour is noticed
Retention
How well the behaviour is remembered
Reproduction
The ability to perform the behaviour
Motivation
The will to perform the behaviour
The Bobo Doll, 1961
Children observed adults either playing nicely
or aggressively with a Bobo Doll. The children
were then allowed to play with the Bobo doll,
and those who observed violent behaviour
were more likely to also behave violently
Evaluation
Inclusion of internal mediational processes
The social learning theory provides a
more comprehensive explanation of
learning behaviours by recognising the
role of mental processes
Explains cultural differences in behaviour
Cultural norms are transmitted through
society via modelling. This is useful in
understanding gender development.
Less deterministic
The external environment does influence our behaviour, however we
choose how we act (mental processes)
Over-reliance on lab studies
Demand characteristics become an issue- the
children in Bandura's study may have performed
as they think they are expected to
Underestimates biological influences
In Bandura's study, the boys were found to be
more aggressive, but this may be due to higher
levels of testosterone