BEHAVIOUR CAN BE
EXPLAINED IN
TERMS OF
CLASSICAL
CONDITIONING
Learning through association.
Pioneered by Ivan
Pavlov in 1904 from his
observation on the
salivation of dogs, in
which the findings
represented hwo a food
(stimulus) can provoke
salivation (response).
BEFORE CONDITIONING
Food (stimulus) and
salivation (response)
are both unconditioned.
DURING CONDITIONING
A neutral stimulus,
such as the ring of a
bell, is introduced at
the same time as the
unconditioned stimulus
(food), aqcuiring its
properties.
AFTER CONDITIONING
The sound of the
bell now becomes a
conditioned
stimulus, that
provokes the
previous response,
which is also now
conditioned
(conditioned
response).
BEHAVIOUR CAN BE
EXPLAINED IN
TERMS OF OPERANT
CONDITIONING
Learning through reinforcement.
An organism
will operate in
the environment
and as a result
will suffer
positive
(reinforcement)
or negative
(punishment)
consequences.
Skinner (1938) demonstrated this learning with animals (mainly
pigeons or rats) in a Skinner Box. The animal would randomly
move around the box, until occasionally a lever would be pressed,
resulting in a food pellet being released into the box. This pellet
acts as a reinforcer, and helps promote the pushing of the lever.
Reinforcers increase the probability that a behaviour will be
repeated, and punishments reduce this probability.
BEHAVIOUR CAN BE
EXPLAINED IN
TERMS OF SOCIAL
LEARNING THEORY.
Learning through observation.
Individuals observe role
models, and base their
behaviour according to theirs,
through vicarious
reinforcement. These
reinforcements are
represented as expectancies
of future outcomes i.e. are
expected to happen every
time that behaviour is
repeated.
Observation may lead to learning itself, however the performance
of this learning is related to external factors. When executing
observed behaviours, these behaviours will be performed in the
expectation that reward will be more likely than punishment, this
execution also relies on whether the individual has the skills to
perform the behaviours.
Said
behaviours are
maintained
through further
reward of the
displayed
behaviour, this
is called direct
reinforcement.
SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY OF AGGRESSION
Albert Bandura believed that
direct experiences could not be
the only explanation for the
acquisition of new behaviours,
specifically aggression.
Bandura's theory allows us to
study the specifics of
behaviour, for example how
aggressive nature is executed,
how often etc.
MENTAL REPRESENTATION
Bandura claimed that for
social learning to take place,
children must make mental
representations of the
behaviours in their social
environment. They must
also represent and evaluate
the possible rewards or
punishments connected to
these aggressive
behaviours in terms of
expectancies of future
outcomes. When
appropriate oppurtunities
arrive, children will display
the behaviour provided by
the expectation of reward is
greater than the expectation
of punishment.
MAINTENANCE
THROUGH DIRECT
EXPERIENCE
Social learning is further
emphasised when children
actually experience direct
reinforcement, such as rewards
for aggressive behaviour.
OBSERVATION
Children primarily learn
aggressive behaviour through
observation - watching the
behaviour of role models and
aiming to imitate that
behaviour if reinforcement is
received. Whereas Skinners
ideas represented learning as
entirely direct, Bandura's ideas
represent learning as indirect.
Children also learn
the consequences of
aggressive behaviour
through observing the
results of observed
aggression around
them. This is known as
indirect or vicarious
reinforcement.
Children witness
much violence, in
home situations, at
school, on television,
and it is the
consequences
(reinforcement or
punishment) that is
relayed in these
situations that form a
child's belief of
correct conduct in the
world around them.
THE BOBO DOLL STUDY
Albert Bandura et al
(1961) aimed to
demonstrate how
aggressive behaviour
canbe replicated through
the observed learning of
a role model.
Very young children (aged
3-5) were arranged to
watch an adult playing with
toys. Half of the children
were shown an adult being
aggressive with an
inflatable Bobo doll, the
other half were shown an
adult not showing any
aggressive tendencies.
The results showed that
those who had seen
aggressive behaviour with
the Bobo doll were more
aggressive towards the
Bobo doll themselves, and
those who did not see such
aggression were not
aggressive at all. Those in
the group that saw the
aggression began striking
the Bobo doll with a mallet,
and kicking it around the
room, which was
accompanied by verbal
aggression, such as saying
the word "POW". Children in
the aggression group also
showed signs of frustration
when they were shown a toy
that they were not allowed
to play with.
THE MOTIVATION FOR AGGRESSION
An experiment by Bandura and
Walters (1963) provides evidence into
why children perform these aggressive
acts. One group were shown an asdult
being rewarded for aggressive
behaviour, another were shown an
adult being punished for aggressive
behaviour, and a third were shown an
adult having neither consequence for
their aggressive behaviour.
The results showed that those who had seen
the adult being rewarded for aggressive
behaviour committed more aggressive acts,
whereas those who had seen adults being
punished for aggressive acts committed
considerabely less aggressive acts. Those in
the control group were at some point in
between the previous two results.