THEORY
Assumptions:
- The SLT's share many assumptions with behaviourists, particularly the belief that people are shaped by their environment through learning processes.
- They acknowledge that classical conditioning and operant conditioning are important influences on human behaviour.
- However, the SLT's added a third way of learning: Observational Learning (also known as modelling). They believe people learn by observing others and therefore that other people (the social environment) are particularly important as an influence on behaviour.
- Through observing others, we can aquire new behaviours quickly and efficiently, without the need for reinforcement or complex shaping. Observation and imitation explain the learning of a wide range of human behaviours.
Mediational Processes:
The SLT can be seen as a connector between learning theory and the cognitive approach. Mediational processes are those mental processes that mediate (intervene) in the learning process determining whether a new behaviour is learned/aquired (we don't imitate everything we observe!). The following process occurs:
- Attention: In order to learn a behaviour, the person must first pay attention to what a model (another person) is doing.
- Retention: They must then encode the information and form a memory of the behaviour the model performs. At a later time, this memory must be translated back into behaviour so that the observer may imitate it.
- Motor Reproduction: In order to imitate the behaviour effectively, the observer needs to practise the behaviour they have observed. This may depend on whether the observer has the skills to imitate the model.
- Motivation: Whether the observer makes use of the behaviour they have learned depends on whether they are motivated to do so or not.
- Whether they believe that reinforcement is available if they imitate it
- They may be influenced by the consequences of their past behaviour (as in behaviourism)
- If the model is observed to be reinforced for their actions, then imitation becomes more likely. (Example of VR)
- If the model is observed to be punished, then imitation becomes less likely. (Example of VR)
- If the observer identifies with the model and sees themselves being similar, then imitation becomes more likely.
- If the model has high status and is deemed attractive or he observer has low self-esteem, then imitation becomes more likely.