3. 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 models
played a big part in shaping behaviour….
9. 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
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. Why do we copy behaviour?
There are 4 factors involved in determining whether or not we copy behaviour
that we have observed….
A
R
M
S
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
13. 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.
14. Explain using the four factors why you
may or may not copy the behaviour of
a role model….
15. 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.
17. 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?
18. 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.
19. Applying vicarious
reinforcement within Health
& Social Care Settings
Give one positive & one negative vicarious
reinforcement example of how an adolescent in a
residential children’s home can learn by vicarious
learning.
20. 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
21. 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)
22. 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
23. 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..?
24. 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.
25. Social Learning Theory
• Therefore SLT is an eclectic mix of
behaviourism (reinforcement) and the
cognitive approach (mediating cognitive
factors).
26. 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.
