Social Learning Theory

• Learning occurs through experience and also in a social context through observation and imitation of another's behaviour.
• Learning is related to the consequences of another's behaviour - vicatious learning.
• Cognitive processes (mediational) play an important role in learning - ARRM.
• Identification with role models is important - imitation of the model's behaviour.
• Bobo doll study suggests children will model aggressive behaviour if it is rewarded.

• Attention - noticing the behaviour.
• Retention - remembering the behaviour.
• Reproduction - imitating the behaviour.
• Motivation - the consequence of the behaviour.

If the motivation of the behaviour is a reinforcement, the behaviour will then continue to be repeated.

• Emphasises the importance of cognitive factors.
  E.g. mediational processes are cognitive.
  Provides a more complete explanation of human learning than the behaviourist approach by recognising cognitive processes.
• It is not deterministic.
  E.g. the SLT proposes we are influenced by our environment but we choose the behaviours which we perform.
  Suggests there is some free will in the way we behave and recognises the role we play in shaping our own environment.

• Relies on evidence from controlled lab studies.
  E.g. Bandura's ideas were developed through observation of children's behaviour in lab settings which often results in demand characteristics.
  Tells us little about how children learn aggression in everyday life.
• Underestimates influence of biological factors.
  E.g. A consistent finding in the Bobo doll experiment was boys showed more aggression than girls.
  Higher aggression in boys is explained by their higher levels of testosterone, an important influence on social learning, which was ignored in Bandura's research.