1. Social psychological theories of aggression – SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY

2. Objectives Understand social psychological theories of aggression
Explain the cause of aggression according to the social learning theory
Evaluate social learning theory.

3. SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY
Bandura 1962
Person’s biology creates potential for aggression.
Expression of aggression is learned by observation and imitation of role models

4. Bandura
Behaviour may be motivated by psychological factors and by more socio-environmental factors.
He argued that the individual and the social environment are linked.
He called this reciprocal determinism.

5. Reciprocal determinism
The individual and the environment are linked

6. Key characteristics of social learning theory
ATTENTION
Concentrating on the model’s behaviour so it will have to be of interest.

7. 2
RETENTION
Remembering the behaviour observed.

8. 3
REPRODUCTION / COPYING / IMITATION
Trying it out for yourself.

9. 4
MOTIVATION
Having an incentive to repeat the behaviour.

10. CENTRAL CONCEPT
The presence of a role model

11. Mental representation
Mental representations of events in social environment
Expectancies of future outcomes
Expectation of reward must be greater than expectation of punishment.

12. Production of behaviour
If bullying behaviour is directly reinforced it is more likely to be repeated.
How might it be reinforced?

13. Self-efficacy expectancies
If aggressive behaviour has not been used successfully children may have low self-efficacy (doubt their own competence) and try other ways.

14. How does research support the application of SLT to aggression?
Read page 2 and 3 in your booklet.
Complete worksheet ONE
Complete worksheet TWO

17. Plenary… All notes away:
According to SLT what are the 4 essential conditions for imitation?
Attention
….. ….
Two criticisms of Bandura’s study: 1. 2.