Albert Bandura

Social Learning Theory

Social Learning Theory

The idea that people learn from one another through observation, imitation, and modeling Reciprocal Determinism: The environment and a persons behavior cause and reinforce each other.

Component Processes

Attention Retention Motor Reproduction Motivation

Attention

Different factors increase or decrease amount of attention paid, such as:

Distinctiveness of action Affective valence Complexity Functional value

Attention cont.

Individual characteristics also affect attention

Sensory capacities Arousal level Perceptual set Past reinforcement

Retention

Remembering what you paid attention to, including:

Symbolic coding Mental images Cognitive organization Symbolic rehearsal Motor rehearsal

Reproduction

Reproducing the image

Physical capabilities Self-observation of reproduction

Motivation

Having a good reason to imitate the action. Motives include:

Past (traditional behaviorism) Promised (imagined incentives) Vicarious (seeing and recalling the reinforced model)

Principles of Social Learning

1.

2.

3.

Highest level of observational learning is first organizing and rehearsing modeled behavior symbolically, then reenacting it overtly. Individuals are more likely to adopt a modeled behavior if it results in valued outcomes Individuals are more likely to adopt a modeled behavior if the model is similar to the observer, has admired status, and the behavior has functional value

Bobo Doll Experiment (1961)

Method

Selected children between 3-6 years old, evenly distributed between sexes Children placed individually in a room w/ toys 3 Groups:

Control: no adult present with children, children just played with toys provided for 10 minutes Group 2: adult would verbally and physically attack bobo doll Group 3: adult played peacefully along with children

Method Cont.

Children were then taken to another room filled with toys that they were not allowed to play with

Intended to build their frustration

Children taken to a third room with aggressive and non-aggressive toys as well as the bobo doll

Behavioral Factors Measured

Physical Aggression

Hitting doll with mallet, punching, kicking, sitting on doll

General abuse Imitation of phrases used by adult model Aggression that was not a direct imitation of adult model

Verbal Aggression

Other uses of mallet

Results

Children exposed to non-aggressive model were less likely to display aggression Children exposed to aggressive model were more likely to display aggression

Both physical and verbal

Boys 3X more likely to display physical aggression than girls Verbal aggression levels were not significantly different by gender

Results

Aggression may be a learned behavior Suggests that avoiding displays of aggression may reduce the liklihood of violent tendencies in children

Still cited in debates about the effects of violence in video games, movies, television, etc.