Social Learning Theory Evaluation

Created by: mollyannh
Created on: 01-12-14 13:02


	Social Learning Theory Evaluation
	Advantages The role of punishment - Bandura repeated the Bobo doll study. This time after exposure to the model, children were offered rewards for performing the model's aggressive behaviour. All three groups performed a similar number of imitative acts (this shows that learning does take place regardless of reinforcements but that production of behaviours is related to selective reinforcements). SLT can explain aggressive behaviour in the absence of direct reinforcement. The theory can explain differences in aggressive and non-aggressive behaviour both between and within individuals. SLT can explain cultural differences in aggression. In !Kung San when two children argue or fight parents neither reward nor punish them, but physically separate them and distract their attention. They do not use physical punishment either. The absence of direct reinforcement of aggressive behaviour as well as aggressive models means there is little opportunity or motivation for !Kung San children to acquire aggressive behaviour.	Disadvantages Ethical issues in SLT research - Exposing children to aggressive behaviour with the knowledge that they may reproduce it in their own behaviour raises ethical issues concerning the need to protect pps from psychological and physical harm. It is possible that the children in the Bobo doll study were aware of what was expected of them (demand characteristics). Noble (1975) reports that one child said 'Look Mummy, there's the doll we have to hit'.
	Evaluation Furthermore, social learning theory is able to explain aggressive behaviour in the absence of direct reinforcement. Research shows that social learning theory can also explain cultural differences in aggression. For example in !Kung San when two children argue or fight parents neither reward nor punish them, but physically separate them and distract their attention. They do not use physical punishment either. Overall, the absence of direct reinforcement of aggressive behaviour as well as aggressive models means there is little opportunity or motivation for !Kung San children to acquire aggressive behaviour. However, exposing children to aggressive behaviour with the knowledge that they may reproduce it in their own behaviour raises ethical issues concerning the need to protect participants from psychological and physical harm. Additionally, children may have been aware of what behaviour was expected of them (demand characteristics) in Bandura et al's (1961) Bobo Doll study. Noble (1975) reported that one child arriving to the study said "Look Mummy, there's the doll we have to hit".

Social Learning Theory Evaluation

Advantages

The role of punishment - Bandura repeated the Bobo doll study. This time after exposure to the model, children were offered rewards for performing the model's aggressive behaviour. All three groups performed a similar number of imitative acts (this shows that learning does take place regardless of reinforcements but that production of behaviours is related to selective reinforcements).
SLT can explain aggressive behaviour in the absence of direct reinforcement.
The theory can explain differences in aggressive and non-aggressive behaviour both between and within individuals.
SLT can explain cultural differences in aggression. In !Kung San when two children argue or fight parents neither reward nor punish them, but physically separate them and distract their attention. They do not use physical punishment either. The absence of direct reinforcement of aggressive behaviour as well as aggressive models means there is little opportunity or motivation for !Kung San children to acquire aggressive behaviour.

Disadvantages

Ethical issues in SLT research - Exposing children to aggressive behaviour with the knowledge that they may reproduce it in their own behaviour raises ethical issues concerning the need to protect pps from psychological and physical harm.
It is possible that the children in the Bobo doll study were aware of what was expected of them (demand characteristics). Noble (1975) reports that one child said 'Look Mummy, there's the doll we have to hit'.

Evaluation

Furthermore, social learning theory is able to explain aggressive behaviour in the absence of direct reinforcement. Research shows that social learning theory can also explain cultural differences in aggression. For example in !Kung San when two children argue or fight parents neither reward nor punish them, but physically separate them and distract their attention. They do not use physical punishment either. Overall, the absence of direct reinforcement of aggressive behaviour as well as aggressive models means there is little opportunity or motivation for !Kung San children to acquire aggressive behaviour. However, exposing children to aggressive behaviour with the knowledge that they may reproduce it in their own behaviour raises ethical issues concerning the need to protect participants from psychological and physical harm. Additionally, children may have been aware of what behaviour was expected of them (demand characteristics) in Bandura et al's (1961) Bobo Doll study. Noble (1975) reported that one child arriving to the study said "Look Mummy, there's the doll we have to hit".

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Social Learning Theory Evaluation