Social Learning Theory

Social learning theory suggests learning occurs by observing or imitating others.

Cognitive approach.

36 boys and 36 girls in the age group of 3-6 years.

• Group 1 imitated the model by showing more aggression towards the doll than the other two groups.
• Boys were more physically aggressive towards the doll compared to girls.
• Verbal aggression among both genders was similar.

Jamie Bulgars in 1990.

• Social learning theory may explain the influence of media on human behaviour.
• Compared to conditioning, social learning theory presents a more comprehensive example of human behaviour that also considers cognitive factors such as mediational processes.
• It also helps explain cultural differences in determining human behaviour, as behaviours are imitated if people are exposed to them.

The entire sample was just children. If this experiment included adults, the results might have been different as the adults have developed proper moral values compared to children.

Lab experiment.

Group 1 showed more aggression followed by group 3.

Boys were more aggressive than girls.

Aggressive tools included a hammer and a pistol.

Non-aggressive tools included farm animals and pencils.

Retention requires storing the observed behaviour in the long term memory for later retrieval. Imitation is a gradual process and might not occur immediately.

Motivation implies that there should be an expectation to retrieve the same positive reinforcement the model received for replicating the observed behaviour.

The study investigates whether children can learn behaviours solely from observing adults. 

Participants were first assessed for their aggression levels by two observers and divided into groups in a way that ensured similar levels of aggression across groups. 

Bandura et al. (1961) recruited children from Stanford University nursery. Seventy-two children (36 girls and 36 boys) aged three to six participated in his laboratory experiment. 

3.

3.

This stage’s primary purpose was to induce frustration in children to be at a similar level of aggression.

Group 1.

The dependent variable measured was the child's behaviour; this included physical and verbal aggression and the number of times the child used a mallet.

Boys.

One strength of Bandura's experiment is that it was conducted in a laboratory where researchers could control and manipulate the variables. This allows us to make a causal connection between the behaviour of the model and the behaviour of the children.

One limitation of Bandura's experiment is that it only tested children right after exposure to the model. It is, therefore, unclear whether the investigation had a long-term effect on children's behaviour. 

Aggressive behaviour.

The girls showed more verbal aggression, whereas the boys showed more physical aggression. 

Researchers brought each child separately to a room with attractive toys. As soon as the child started playing with one of the toys, the researcher stopped them and explained that these toys are special and are reserved for other children.

In stage three, each child was placed in a separate room with aggressive toys and some non-aggressive toys. They were left alone with the toys in the room for approximately 20 minutes while researchers observed them through a one-way mirror and assessed their behaviour. 

Children are more likely to imitate the model's behaviour if they see a model be rewarded for it than when they see the model be punished or those who face no consequences.

• Girls displayed more physical aggression after watching an aggressive male model but showed more verbal aggression when the model was female.

• Boys imitated aggressive male models more than aggressive female models. 

• Some children in the control group (that didn't see the model) showed aggression, such as hammer hitting or gunplay. 

• The control condition showed lower aggression than the group that saw an aggressive model and slightly higher aggression than the non-aggressive model group.

• Children were not protected from harm.
• Children could not give informed consent.
• Children could not withdraw from the study.
• Children were not debriefed.

• Most of the experiments are lab-controlled experiments to observe quantifiable behaviour.

• Humans learn through observation and modelling, which leads to reinforcement and imitation of observed behaviour.

• Cognitive factors such as the mediational processes (stated above) have a significant role in learning behaviours.

Girls were more likely to imitate behaviour if the model was a female.

Boys were more likely to imitate behaviour if the model was a male.

In Bandura and Walter's (1963) experiment, the children were exposed to an aggressive model who also had to face the consequences of their behaviour.

• Group 1: children were exposed to an aggressive model and praised for their behaviour.

• Group 2: children were exposed to an aggressive model and punished for their behaviour.

• Group 3: children were exposed to an aggressive model who received no consequences for their behaviour.

It showed that behaviour is more likely to be imitated or reproduced when it receives positive reinforcement.

Compared to conditioning, social learning theory presents a more comprehensive example of human behaviour that considers cognitive factors such as mediational processes.

True.

True.

Reproduction requires a person to have the ability to duplicate the observed behaviour.