The Social Learning Theory of Aggression

1. The Social Learning Theory of Aggression Miss Minaker

2. Social Learning Theory • Social learning is learning through observation, imitation and modelling or another person or role model.

3. Who do you look up to? Who is your role model? Have you ever observed a behaviour that you have then copied?

4. Social Learning Theory • According the Bandura, there are 4 processes involved with Social Learning • Attention • Retention • Reproduction • Motivation • Mnemonic?

5. 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

6. 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

7. Vicarious Learning • Come up with an example for each of the following: • Vicarious reinforcement • Vicarious punishment • Vicarious extinction

8. 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?

9. Evidence for social learning theory • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdh7MngntnI • Write up experiment

10. Other evidence • Speed date!

11. Evaluation of SLT of aggression (pg 28-33) • How does the evidence presented support/contradict the theory? • Are there alternative explanations? (pg 32)