Social Learning Theory

Learning Objectives:
•Describe the role of imitation, modelling and
vicarious reinforcement in learning.
•Apply knowledge to real-life scenarios and exam
style questions
•Evaluate social learning theory.
Why are these
people choosing to
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-28448688
behave in this
manner? What
influences them?
 The learning theories
 Unlike classical conditioning, which is learning through
association, operant conditioning involves learning
through consequence.

 Social learning is about learning through observation and

imitation. An observer learns new behaviour by watching
and imitating another person (role model). This process of
watching and imitating is called the modelling.
Social Learning Theory:
The 2 key assumptions
• Behaviour is learned from the
environment and therefore
genetics are not regarded as
having any influence on
behaviour.

• Behaviour is learned from

observing others and the
reinforcement or punishment
that they receive.
 Therefore vicarious
reinforcement is watching Albert Bandura He is a learning theorist
a role model being
but not strictly a
rewarded/punished (which
behaviourist as he
helps us decide if we want
considers the thought
to imitate the behaviour)
processes that underlie
behaviour.
The individual then
can decide whether
to perform the
behaviour His theory challenges
themselves. Skinner’s idea that
reward/punishment will
He argues that reinforcers
automatically
and punishments of others
prompt/stop a behaviour.
inform an individual of the
consequences of a
behaviour.
The Bobo Doll experiment (1961)
Aim: to test whether social behaviours
by Bandura et al. (i.e. aggression) can be acquired by
observation and imitation.
Sample: Bandura et al. tested 36 boys and 36 girls from
the Stanford University Nursery School aged between
3 to 6 years old.
The researchers pre-tested the children for how
aggressive they were by observing the children in the
nursery and judged their aggressive behavior on four 5-
point rating scales.
It was then possible to match the children in each
group so that they had similar levels of aggression in
their everyday behavior. The experiment is therefore
an example of a matched pairs design.
A lab experiment was
used and there were 3
different conditions. Method
In the ‘aggressive’
condition children
watched the role
model physically and
verbally abuse the
Bobo doll. In the non-
aggressive condition
the role model ignore
the doll and played
with other toys in the
room and in the
control condition
there was no model.
 Method
All children were then put into a room which contained some aggressive toys
and some non-aggressive toys. The non-aggressive toys included a tea set,
crayons, three bears and plastic farm animals. The aggressive toys included a
mallet and peg board, dart guns, and a 3 foot Bobo doll.

The child was in the room for 20 minutes and their behaviour was observed and
rated though a one-way mirror. Observations were made at 5-second intervals
therefore giving 240 response units for each child.
Results:
Results:

• Children who observed the aggressive

model made far more imitative aggressive
responses than those who were in the non-
aggressive or control groups.
• The girls in the aggressive model
condition also showed more physical
aggressive responses if the model was male,
but more verbal aggressive responses if the
model was female.
• Boys were more likely to imitate same-sex
models than girls.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02Pf53oX7iE
 Evaluation:
Can you pick out any strengths or weaknesses in the way this study was
conducted?
Hint! Look back over the method- think who was used and how the experiment
was set up.
 Strengths
• As it is an experiment all
other variables have been
controlled for (e.g. gender of
child, time they are observed
for) therefore we can
establish cause and effect.
• Easily replicable
(standardised instructions
and procedures).
• Accounts for cognitive
processes.
Weaknesses
• Low ecological validity (in a lab, adult
models, child observers etc)
• Frustrated Children
• Many children unfamiliar with a Bobo doll
• Only looks at short-term effects of social
learning rather than long term.
• Only uses child participants from Stanford
Uni Nursery (3-6 years old)
• The toys in the room may indicate to the
child what they are expected to do (demand
characteristics?)
Social L T: Key Terms
t:
Vicarious Reinforcemen
curs
reinforcement which oc Modelling: imitating
the
eone
through observing som odel/
else being reinforced fo
ra behaviour of a role m
specific behaviour. a role model
cific
demonstrating a spe
behaviour

s:
Mediational processe
Identification: when an nking)
observer associates cognitive factors (thi
ng and
model that influence learni
themselves with a role ulus and
em. come between stim
and wants to be like th response
 Identification: when an
observer associates Who do you think is your role
model
themselves with a role model?
em.
and wants to be like th
1. 2.
3. 4.

A 14 year old,
white British
8. school gir?l 6.
5.

7.
 1. 2.
3. 4.

8. A 32 year old African

American man who is
a personal trainer?
5.
6.

7.
 Identification: when an
observer associates
model
themselves with a role
em.
and wants to be like th

Often an individual is influenced by another

because they are in some way similar to them
or wish to be like them. There are many factors
which influence the choice of a model
including; gender, ethnicity, higher status,
greater expertise, attractiveness etc.
 es:
Mediational process
inking) If you saw that your favourite
cognitive factors (th
g and
that influence learnin celebrity had successfully swam
ulus and
come between stim the English channel, would you
response immediately imitate the behaviour
yourself?

We do not automatically observe the

behaviour of a model and imitate it. There is
thought prior to imitation and Bandura (1977)
called these the 4 mediational processes.
 The Role of Mediational Factors
(cognitive factors)

Motor
Attention Retention Motivation
Reproduction

For a behaviour to The behaviour may be The will or

imitated it has to noticed, but it is not The motivation to
grab our always remembered. physical perform the
attention. We This prevents imitation. ability of behaviour. This is
observe many We must form a the often determined
behaviours on a memory of the observer to by whether the
daily basis and behaviour in order for it imitate the behaviour was
many of these are to be performed later behaviour. rewarded or
not noticed. on by the observer. punished.
 Task: Talk to the person next to you. Discuss how social
learning principles may explain how violent films may have
a negative impact on children’s behaviour.
2 marks for A01 Key Words:
Vicarious reinforcement,
and 4 marks for mediational processes,
A02!! identification, role models
 Is the content clear
and sufficiently
detailed?

Up to 4 marks for
A02!! Is every part
of social learning
applied to the
example??
Is it the top end of the band or
the bottom end?!
Quick Quiz!
1.What does the behaviourist approach believe about the role of cognition
(the brain)?
2.In Pavlov’s research what was the neutral stimulus?
3.In Pavlov’s research what was the unconditioned response?
4.Which consequence in operant conditioning makes a behaviour less likely
to occur?
5._________ reinforcement occurs through watching someone else being
reinforced or punished for a behaviour and then deciding whether to
perform it yourself.
6.“The ability of the observer to perform the behaviour” is which
mediational process?
7.Give reasons/ factors which make a person more likely to be a role model.
8.Which group in Bandura’s study showed the most aggressive behaviour
towards the Bobo Doll?
 The Bobo Doll experiment (part 2) (1963)
by Bandura and Walters.
A follow up study was done by Bandura et
al. where all children were shown an adult
behaving aggressively towards a Bobo Doll.
What key term we learnt One group children saw the adult being
about last lesson does this praised for their behaviour (“well done”),
another saw the adult being told off for
study support? their behaviour and a control group saw no
consequence.
What does this tell us about
how we learn to perform The first group showed much more
behaviour? aggression towards the Bobo Doll,
followed by the control group and then the
second group.
 The Bobo Doll experiment (part 2) (1963)
by Bandura and Walters.
A follow up study was done by Bandura et
al. where all children were shown an adult
behaving aggressively towards a Bobo Doll.
What key term we learnt One group children saw the adult being
about last lesson does this praised for their behaviour (“well done”),
another saw the adult being told off for
study support? their behaviour and a control group saw no
consequence.
What does this tell us about
how we learn to perform The first group showed much more
behaviour? aggression towards the Bobo Doll,
followed by the control group and then the
second group.
 Writing PEEL paragraphs.

P- The social learning theory is less deterministic than the behaviourist approach.

E- Bandura emphasised reciprocal determinism, which explained how we are not only
influenced by our environment but that we also exert an influence upon it, through
choosing to perform certain behaviours.

E- This suggests that we have more free will in the way that we choose to behave, than
is suggested by the behaviourist approach. It also recognises the importance of
cognition (thinking).

L- Therefore the social learning theory may be a better explanation of human behaviour
than the traditional behaviourist approach as it accounts for some free will.
 Give one key What does ‘vicarious What is the name of
assumption of social reinforcement’ mean? the researcher who
learning theory used Bobo Dolls in his
studies?

What is a Give one strength

and one weakness What is ‘operant
conditioned
of the Bobo Dolls conditioning’?
response?
Study.
What is an What are the 3 types of People that we
identify with are
unconditioned consequences in operant
conditioning? called ____ _____.
stimulus?