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The learning approach
6.10
Social learning theory
Answers
Social learning theory says that we tend to copy the behaviour of other people called role
models, so we learn by observing then imitating their behaviour. This was demonstrated by
Bandura et al. (1961) who studied the social learning of aggression. In their study, children
observed an adult playing aggressively or non-aggressively with an inflatable Bobo doll. Those
children who watched an aggressive model were more likely to be aggressive to the doll later.
Bandura (1977) suggested that for social learning to occur the observer must:
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pay attention to the model; that is, be aware of their behaviour
be able to remember what they have seen e.g. be able to store and recall what the
model did
be capable of reproducing what they have seen, e.g. have the physical strength or
ability
be motivated to pro`duce the behaviour they have seen; that is, have a reason such as
an external reward or inner drive to perform the behaviour.
Behaviours learned through classical or operant conditioning must be repeated during the
conditioning process. In contrast, new behaviours acquired through social learning do not have
to have been performed by the learner. As Bandura says, they do however need motivation.
Internal motivation may be generated by the model and this can explain why there are
differences in the effectiveness of models. Some characteristics of a model make imitation
more likely. These include being similar to ourselves, e.g. in terms of age and sex; being
likeable or attractive; and being high in status, such as sportsmen and women. For example,
Bandura et al. (1961) found that boys were more likely to copy male models, and girls were
more likely to copy female ones. However, as status also matters, girls are more likely to copy
the behaviour of boys than vice versa. This is because stereotypically male characteristics such
as being brave or dominant are valued more by society than stereotypically female ones such
as being safe or submissive. Some characteristics of the observer matter too: an individual
with high self-esteem is less likely to imitate others than one with low self-esteem.
External sources of motivation also matter such as the consequences of the behaviour for the
model. Imitation is more likely when the model is seen to be rewarded for their behaviour. This
is called vicarious reinforcement. For example, in another study Bandura (1965) found that
children were more likely to imitate aggression if the model was seen being rewarded than if
the model was punished. This illustrates the importance of cognitive factors in social learning
– an aspect that is missing from classical or operant conditioning explanations. The learner
must understand the consequences for the model indicating that there are cognitive processes
between the stimulus of seeing the model and the response of imitating the behaviour.
The learning of sex-typed behaviours can readily be explained in this way. Although children
will see models of both sexes, they will be selectively reinforced when they imitate samesex behaviours, for example by their peers or their parents. Children are also exposed to
biased sources of models. For example Evans & Davies (2000) found that the characters in
children’s books were stereotypical. Males were more aggressive and competitive whereas
females were more emotionally expressive and passive. Milburn et al. (2001) also found
stereotypical representations of males and females in clip art, with males being shown as
more active and less nurturing than females.
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© Folens
6.10
The learning approach
Social learning theory
Answers continued
role models
observing
imitating
aggression
Bobo doll
more
attention
remember
reproducing
motivated
repeated
not
Internal
© Folens
differences
model
age
likeable
status
male
female
girls
boys
brave
safe
observer
less
consequences
imitation
vicarious reinforcement
rewarded
punished
cognitive
stimulus
response
sex-typed
same-sex
peers
children’s books
clip art
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