Media influence on pro-social behaviour

Media influence on pro-social behaviour

Social Learning Theory

The SLT theory suggests that pro-social behaviour is learnt. Unlike, anit-social behaviour, pro-social behaviour is more likely to represent established social norms and is therefore more likely to be rewarded. As there is more likelihood of reward, a child is more likely to repeat such behaviour.

AO2

J Sprafkin showed two groups of children an episode of Lassie. Those who had watched the episode where a child had helped a puppy in distress were later found themselves to be more helpful towards a puppy in a later task than those who had not seen the puppy being rescued.

X-however an alternative explanation has suggested that those who had seen the puppy being rescued had become sensitised to the distress of the puppy and were therefore more sympathetic than those…