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The social learning theory approach (gaps)
Psychology
University of Cambridge
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SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY – BANDURA
Human beings know more than any other animal species. We have so many abilities, from language and communication, to maths, art and literature, science and technology, interpersonal relationships and self- awareness. No other animal has any of these skills. As we aren’t born with them, we must have _____________ them in other ways. Childhood is the time during which much of this acquisition occurs. Anything, which can make this process easier or more efficient, would be beneficial. ____________ and _______________ others who know things and have skills that we do not have is a useful short cut to learning for ourselves. Bandura calls this ___________________________. The main processes in social learning are observation and imitation. These two processes then lead to the ________________ of behaviour.
Modelling Acquired Imitating Observational Learning Observing
Children learn much of their behaviour from those important people they see around them. The first important people are usually _____________, with teachers and other adults following later. First, they see what the parent does under certain circumstances. This is ____________________. Second, they __________ that behaviour (often under circumstances where it may not be _______________). This is ________________. Eventually they learn when certain behaviour is appropriate and when it is not. They are not only learning appropriate behaviour, but also the _________________ that go with it. This is _______________________.
Perhaps the best-known laboratory-based research on observational learning was conducted by Bandura in the 1960’s. Bandura concentrated on aggressive behaviour, but modelling pro-social behaviour and gender related behaviours would follow much the same principles.
Identification Parents Appropriate Copy Imitation Thoughts Observation
Bandura’s 1961 Bobo Doll study: Bandura conducted an experiment to test whether children who observed powerful or attractive models behaving in certain ways are more likely to behave in similar ways themselves. If they see such models behaving aggressively, they are more likely to behave aggressively themselves, particularly if they see the model being _______________ for their behaviour. In the experiment, three groups of nursery-school children watched a film of an adult male behaving aggressively toward a large Bobo doll (a rubber toy with weights which made it keep bobbing upright when pushed). The adult hit and kicked the toy then threw it around and punched it. The outcome of the film was different for each group. One group saw the adult being rewarded with ____________ and ___________ for his aggression. Another saw the adult being smacked for his wicked behaviour. The third group (the control group) didn’t see anything happen to the adult. When given a Bobo doll of their own to play with, the first group and the control group were _____________ ___________ toward it. The children who saw the adult being punished were much ______________ ____________.
Less aggressive Sweets Rewarded Praise Equally aggressive
The main difference between this approach and Behaviourism is that here the reinforcement is vicarious i. it does not have to be direct. However, another difference is that social learning theorists acknowledge
the influence of thought, since an individual may have learned a particular behaviour but choose not to
perform it. This they refer to as mediating cognitive factors (processes). Three such factors are: attention
(if you are not interested in the behaviour you may not attend to it therefore not learn from it), memory
(how well the observer remembers and can recall the behaviour) and motivation (the reasons someone might have for copying the behaviour or not).
Identification: Role Models
Characteristics of the model most likely to influence the observer are: 1. people who we see as
___________________ ourselves, 2. the _____________________ of the model, 3. the high ___________
of the model. Attractiveness Most like Status
The social learning theory approach (gaps)
Module: Psychology
University: University of Cambridge
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