Social Learning Theory (SLT) 1
Psychology: AQA A Level, topic 15.2.4
Social Learning Theory
Social learning theory is a social psychological theory of aggression. It was developed by Albert Bandura and is a way of explaining behaviour that includes both direct and indirect reinforcement; combining learning theory with the role of cognitive factors.
Aggression
- According to Bandura (1973), aggressive behaviour is learned in social contexts.
- Social learning theory does not deny that biological factors play a role in how we acquire aggressive behaviours.
- However it asserts that everything that really matters about aggression is learned.
Direct and indirect learning
- Bandura believes that aggression can be learned directly, through mechanisms of operant conditioning involving positive and negative reinforcement and punishment.
- He also realised that aggressive behaviour often cannot be explained by direct forms of learning, especially in humans.
- He therefore argued that an indirect mechanism (observational learning) accounts for social learning of most aggressive behaviours.
Observational learning
- Children (and adults to an extent) acquire specific and aggressive behaviours through observing aggressive models (such as siblings, parents, peers, and characters from the media.)
- This is how the child works out how an aggressive behaviour is performed, but it does not mean that they will behave aggressively themselves.
Vicarious reinforcement
- As well as observing the behaviour of models, children also observe the consequences of their own behaviour.
- If aggressive behaviour is rewarded (or at least not punished), the child learns that aggression can be effective in getting what they want.
- This is known as vicarious reinforcement and it makes it more likely that the observing child will imitate the model’s aggressive behaviour.
Vicarious punishment
- A parallel form of indirect learning is vicarious punishment.
- If a model's use of aggression to achieve a goal is punished, an observing child is less likely to imitate that specific behaviour.
Observational Learning
Bandura states that four cognitive conditions are needed for observational learning to take place.
Attention
- A basic cognitive requirement is that the observer must pay attention to the models aggressive actions.
Retention
- The observer also needs to be able to remember the model's aggressive actions.
- This helps to form a symbolic mental representation of how the behaviour is performed.
Reproduction
- The individual must be able to transform the mental representation of the aggressive behaviour into actual physical action.
- This involves the individual mentally appraising his or her ability to do this.
Motivation
- The individual needs a reason to imitate the behaviour, which will depend on their expectations that behaving aggressively in a specific way in a specific situation will be rewarding.
Test yourself on Social Learning Theory (SLT) 1
Which of the following is NOT something Bandura considers an important way aggressive behaviour is learned?
Which cognitive condition requires the individual to be able to transform the mental representation of the aggressive behaviour into actual physical action?
Which cognitive condition requires the observer must pay attention to the models aggressive actions?