The Social Learning Theory of
Aggression
• Who do you look up to? Who is your role model?
Have you ever observed a behaviour that you have
then copied?
Social Learning Theory
• According the Bandura, there are 4 processes
involved with Social Learning
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Attention
Retention
Reproduction
Motivation
• Mnemonic?
Example
• Jane dyes her hair pink because her favourite
celebrity has done so.
▫ First Jane paid attention to what the celebrity had
done
▫ Jane then retained this information
▫ Jane was capable of reproducing the behaviour of
dying her hair
▫ Jane was motivated to dye her hair pink and did so
Factors involved in SLT
• The more similar the role model is to the observer,
the more likely that the behaviour will be imitated
▫ Same gender
▫ Same age
• Also, if the role model is seen in a positive light
▫ High status
▫ Likeable
Behaviourist Assumption
Social Learning Theory
• Social learning is learning through observation,
imitation and modelling or another person or role
model.
• We Observe a role model’s behaviour and its
consequence
• We store this as a MENTAL REPRESENTATION
(memory)
• We may then repeat this behaviour in the future
Social Learning Theory of aggression
(p18) OMM
• Observation
• We Observe a role model’s behaviour and its
consequence if we see the model being rewarded,
we are being indirectly reinforced – Bandura calls
this VICARIOUS REINFORCEMENT
• We store this as a MENTAL REPRESENTATION
including whether the behaviour is rewarded or
punished – this is our EXPECTANCY of FUTURE
OUTCOMES
Social Learning Theory of aggression
(p18) OMM
• We may then repeat this behaviour in the future if
the situation arises and we are directly reinforced.
• This is called MAINTENANCE through DIRECT
EXPERIENCE.
• Remember we can learn directly or through what
happens to someone else.
• If we learn from what happens to someone else,
this is VICARIOUS LEARNING
Vicarious Learning
• Come up with an example for each of the
following:
• Vicarious reinforcement
• Vicarious punishment
• Vicarious extinction
Social Learning Theory
• With the people around you, discuss how this
theory could be applied to aggression
• Using the 4 stages, how could a little girl imitate
her older sister’s aggressive behaviour?
• What other factors may have influenced her?
Evidence for social learning theory
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bobo doll experiment – YouTube
Summarise Bandura’s 1961 experiment
What is the KEY finding?
Summarise Bandura’s 1963 experiment
bobo doll experiment – YouTube
What is the major new thing we learn from this
second study?
Other evidence
• Speed date!