Social Learning Theory

Observation & Imitation of Role Models

Social Learning Theory

• Social Learning Theory normally refers to the work and theory of Albert Bandura.

• Like the Behaviourist theory this theory believes that human behaviour is created by the environment (nurture), but unlike behaviourists SLT argues that role modelsplayed a big part in shaping behaviour….

Social Learning Theory

“Learning takes place by observing and imitating

others”

Children see, Children do

What did The Behaviourist Perspective say played a part shaping behaviour?

Social Learning Theory

• Can you think of some examples?

Bandura’s Experiment

Bandura’s Experiment

• The aim of this study was to investigate whether young children observe & imitate role models….

• The adult hit the doll with a hammer and shouted abuse at it.

• The child was then left alone in the room with the doll, and their behaviour towards the doll was observed

• Children who observed aggressive behaviour displayed aggressive behaviour towards the doll, they also use words and behaviour which were similar to the role model’s

Social Learning Theory

Conclusion

“Exposure to a role model behaving aggressively results in observation and

imitation”.

In other words, children will watch and imitate behaviour.

Social Learning Theory

Bandura described a process called modelling:

1. Modelling is where a person copies the behaviour of a role model.

2. Modelling can also refer to the behaviour being ‘advertised’ by the role model.

Why do we copy behaviour?There are 4 factors involved in determining whether or not we copy behaviour

that we have observed….

ARMS

We must firstly, have paid Attention

Secondly, we must Remember what we have seen

Thirdly, we must be Motivated to repeat the behaviour that we have observed

Finally, we must have the Skills to carry out the behaviour observed

For example…Someone might tell you a joke.

If you were not paying attention then you will have no chance of remembering it in the first place.

If you do however remember it you might not have the skills required for telling it (i.e. you might need to put on an accent to tell the joke effectively).

Lastly, you might have all of the above, but did not find the joke particularly funny, so are therefore not motivated to repeat it to someone else.

Explain using the four factors why you may or may not copy the behaviour of

a role model….

In Health & Social care it is important that we act as role models to ensure

the best for our service users….

Give examples of how a care worker in a Residential Care Home for the elderly can promote him or herself as…

a) a warm and loving role model, b) an authoritarian role model, c) As a similar role model.

Vicarious Reinforcement

Vicarious Reinforcement

Bandura also proposed that we learn by something called Vicarious Reinforcement.

(Vicarious – something that is felt indirectly by imagining what another person is feeling or experiencing)

This is when we observe someone else being either positively or negatively reinforced for behaving in a certain way.

It makes us want to OBSERVE & IMITATE others behaviour to receive the praise… For example… The boy will learn his spelling because he wants to win the spelling bee….

Can you think of any examples?

Relating to the Behaviourist perspective

This does overlap with skinner’s ideas on

reinforcement, but it is about OBSERVING others being reinforced opposed to it happening directly to

us.

Applying vicarious reinforcement within Health

& Social Care SettingsGive one positive & one negative vicarious

reinforcement example of how an adolescent in a residential children’s home can learn by vicarious

learning.

Why is it important for care staff to understand SLT

• Helps them to understand more about their background and where the behaviours may have come from (may have learnt behaviours from family/friends)

• Helps them to promote themselves as positive role models

• Helps them to understand certain behaviours, such as fear -bad experiences and/or phobias

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES

• Investigated using experiments – therefore scientific.

• Emphasises the importance of our environment and in particular role models

• Explains how we learn many behaviours such as aggression.

Experiments create a false setting and the results may not reflect real life behaviour (what are you supposed to do with a bobo doll?)

Ignores the role of nature and biological factors.

Too simplistic, there are other explanations for aggression i.e .hormones (nature)

Social Learning Theory

Which research method was used by SLT?

Answer: Lab observations

Two strength of a lab observation?

1. High control of extraneous variables

2. Highly replicable

Social Learning Theory• Two limitations of SLT:

1. Low ecological validity: Labs are a false environment, which created false behaviour in the children. This cannot be generalised.

2. Demand characteristics: In a lab participants may be aware their behaviour is being recorded, so will behave differently.

• Perhaps they thought Bandura wanted them to attack the doll, and that is why he’d shown them the video..?

Social Learning Theory

• SLT also believes that reinforcement plays a role in behaviour, but only if it is direct or indirect.

• Direct reinforcement is where a person is rewarded for their behaviour.

• Indirect reinforcement is where the role model is rewarded. You see this and copy the behaviour so you are rewarded too.

Social Learning Theory

• Therefore SLT is an eclectic mix of behaviourism (reinforcement) and the cognitive approach (mediating cognitive factors).

Social Learning Theory

One strength of SLT is that it has been used to explain how phobias develop, due to observation and imitation of role models.

Eclectic approach as it combines parts of behaviourism with parts of the cognitive approach.

Does not explain where behaviour starts, only how it is passed from one person to the next.