Download Social Learning

Monkey see,
monkey do.
Old American saying
That man is an
aggressive creature
will hardly be
disputed. With the
exception of certain
rodents, no other
vertebrate habitually
destroys members of
his own species.
Application of Learning
to Social Situations
Donelson R. Forsyth
A. Storr
Learn from me,
because I am meek
and humble of heart.
Mat. 11:29
The power of
example to activate
and channel behavior
has been abundantly
documented.
Albert Bandura
These PowerPoint slides (without the videos) are available at
http://facultystaff.richmond.edu/~dforsyth/sociallearn.pdf
Assumptions and Opinions
• How do experiences change you? (How do you learn?)
• Are humans, by nature, social?
• If social, is our learning social?
• What does a member of a “social species” need to know?
• Is the human species, by nature, aggressive?
• What can be done to encourage people to be kinder,
gentler?
Social Learning
Learning by
Observation
Social Learning
Theory
Applications
Imitation
(and synchrony, mimicry)
Basic
Assumptions
Aggression
and Violence
Physiological
bases
Bobo Doll
Study
Prosocial
behavior
Other Findings
Theories of Learning: Beyond Radical
Behaviorism
Classical conditioning: learning by association
Operant conditioning: learning by consequences
• Acquisition of skills, abilities
• Emotions and affective reactions to stimuli
Leaves out. . .
• cognitive process
• social process
• learning by observing….
Observational Learning
Evidence of learning by watching, observing,
imitating a model (usually a conspecific)
• Language
acquisition
• Learning skills,
actions
• Natural synchrony
of behavior
Chimps and Modeling
•
Conformity to cultural norms of tool use in chimpanzees, A. Whiten, V. Horner & F. B.
M. de Waal Nature advance online publication, 21 August 2005 doi:
10.1038/nature04047
Chimps and Culture?
Claus, uses the same 'poke'
technique to obtain the treat
Videos are not available.
Georgia uses the tool to poke at
The food dispenser, and others
watch
Learning by observation comes about early in life. This 14 month old child imitates the adult on TV in pulling a toy apart.
Meltzoff, A.N. (1998). Imitation of televised models by infants.
Child Development, 59 1221-1229. Photos Courtesy of A.N. Meltzoff and M. Hanuk.
Human Infants and Modeling
Mirror Neurons
Reprinted with permission from the American
Association for the Advancement of Science,
Subiaul et al., Science 305: 407-410 (2004)
© 2004 AAAS.
Neuroscientist have discovered (mirror) neurons in the brains of macaques (and maybe humans) that activate during observational learning.
Social Learning
Learning by
Observation
Social Learning
Theory
Applications
Imitation
(and syncrony, mimicry)
Basic
Assumptions
Aggression
and Violence
Physiological
bases
Bobo Doll
Study
Prosocial
behavior
Other Findings
Social Learning Theory
Primary Theorist: Albert Bandura
• We can also learn by
observing, reading, or hearing
about others’ behavior
• We can anticipate
consequences for our
behaviors (even for behaviors
we’ve never engaged in)
• Our cognitive abilities give us
the capability for insight and
foresight
Basic Assumptions
1.
2.
Observation: We can monitor what
others do, and repeat their actions; we
learn through observation
Cognition: We can remember previous
experiences, foresee probable
consequences of our acts, and make
choices rationally
Basic Assumptions
3.
Contingencies: Reinforcement increases
behavior, punishment decreases behavior,
but need not be directly experienced
• Vicarious consequences
– Vicarious positive reinforcement
– Vicarious punishment
• Self-reinforcement
– Reward or punish self for meeting or
failing to meet own standards
Basic Assumptions
4. Self: Self-regulation allows us to choose
behaviors that help us to avoid punishments
and move towards long-term goals
• Some people are pretty good at this, some people
aren’t so good
• Self-regulation is domain-specific: can regulate
some things, but not others
• Self-efficacy: optimism that one can perform the
behaviors required in the situation for success
Bobo Doll Studies
• Children watch model behave
aggressively with Bobo doll
(Specific physical actions plus novel
hostile remarks)
• Do the children imitate the model’s
behavior?
Video is not available
Bandura, Ross, & Ross, 1961
• Children watch model
behave aggressively with
Bobo doll
• Then model is either
rewarded or punished
• Then children are allowed
access to a room with
toys, including a Bobo
doll
• Do the children imitate the
model’s behavior?
12
boys
girls
10
8
6
4
2
0
model
rewarded
model
punished
Other Findings
• Similarity with the model
Girls
Female
Male
Real life model
Boys
Female
Male
Film model
Cartoon
Control
•
•
•
Similarity with the model
Self-regulation and long-term goals
Difficulty of the goal and need for
“help”
Social Learning
Learning by
Observation
Social Learning
Theory
Applications
Imitation
(and synchrony, mimicry)
Basic
Assumptions
Aggression
and Violence
Physiological
bases
Bobo Doll
Study
Prosocial
behavior
Other Findings
Applications
• Aggression and Violence
Does viewing violence cause one to
become more aggressive?
Saving Private Ryan
Henry:
Portrait of a
Serial Killer
Children of Men
RESERVOIR DOGS
Movies
Silence ofSaw
the Lambs
Videogames
Applications
• Aggression and Violence
Does viewing violence cause one to become more
aggressive?
• become "immune" or numb to the violence
• gradually accept violence as a way to solve
problems
• imitate the violence they observe on
television or in video games
• identify with certain characters, victims
and/or victimizers
Longitudinal research
Longitudinal Research
50
Males
Females
40
30
20
10
0
Low
Med
High
Low
Med
Frequency of TV Viewing at Age 8
DV: Seriousness of Criminal Act by Age 30
Eron
&Age
Heusmann,
DV: Seriousness of Criminal
Act by
30
1985
High
Experimental Findings
• Reduced physiological
arousal to real violence if
just played a violent
videogame
• More violent thoughts
following gameplaying
• Some brain differences
(fMRI study)
Applications
• Peacemaking and Helping
Can people learn to care?
Examples of Prosocial Behavior
Have you ever?
. . . helped push a stranger's car out of the snow.
. . . given directions to a stranger.
. . . given money to a charity.
. . . given money to a stranger who needed it
(or asked for it).
. . . donated goods or clothes to a charity.
. . . done volunteer work for a charity.
. . . donated blood.
Have you ever?
. . . delayed an elevator and held the door
open for a stranger.
. . . allowed someone to go ahead of you in a line (at
a Xerox machine, in the supermarket).
. . . helped a classmate whom you did not know that well
with a homework assignment.
. . .offered to help a handicapped or elderly stranger
cross a street.
. . . offered your seat on a bus or train to a stranger who
was standing.
. . .helped an acquaintance to move households.
• Benefits another person or persons (prosocial)
small (casual) - - - - - - - - - large (substantial)
•
•
•
•
•
•
Prosocial intentions
Emergency and everyday helping
Planned or spontaneous helping
Doing and giving
Self-sacrificing
Altruistic motive
Helpfulness and Social Learning
Oliner and Oliner (1988) study of people who helped Jews
escape from the Nazis during World War II
Those who helped were taught to help by their parents, who
acted in caring, sympathetic ways towards other people.
• Helpers said such things as:
• I did everything from my heart--I didn't think about getting
something for it. My father taught me to be this way. [p.
227]
• My nature is the result of being raised by my mother. She
was my role model. She helped a lot of people. [p. 228]
• [My father] taught me to love my neighbor—to consider
him my equal whatever his nationality or religion. He
taught me especially to be tolerant. [p. 165]
In general, children tend to be more
prosocial and less aggressive if raised by
parents who:
• express prosocial values and act on these values tend to be
more altruistic than children raised by parents who espouse
lofty principles but don't act on these values
• explain the reasons why they help others
• stress the importance of caring and sympathy tend to
• encourage children to think of themselves as generous, helpful
individuals
• avoid using harsh punishment, but instead encourage empathy
for others
Bystander Effect
Tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present.
Bystander effect is minimal if a role model is present who helps
Summary
• We acquire, maintain, and modify behaviors that we
see others perform; learning is social.
• We decide which behaviors to keep, and when to
use them: we are capable of self-regulation
• Bandura put the social back in learning by stressing
the impact of other people on our development
• We learn aggressive, harmful behaviors, but we can
learn prosocial, cooperative behaviors as well.
• Once, many years ago, when I lived in the San Francisco Bay
area, I was riding BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) to work one
morning when one of the passengers collapsed. The car was
exceedingly crowded and the man who had fainted had been
one of those standing. I was seated in a far corner, unable to get
up without difficulty (that was MY excuse). The unfortunate
reality is that no one did ANYTHING for a couple of
minutes. Everyone wanted someone else to handle it. Finally,
one young man broke away from the crowd and knelt beside the
stricken man. He found a pulse but could not rouse him. Just
then, the train made a stop to pick up more passengers. The
helpful man ran out onto the platform to pick up a courtesy
phone to call for help (this was before cellphones). Just then,
the doors closed and the train moved away from the
station. Within seconds, the man who had fainted roused, sat
up, rubbed his head, stood, and resumed his commute in
silence. No one said or did anything. The one really nice man
was the one left behind to wait for the next train and to be late
for work. I don't know who he was, but I have never forgotten
him. He did a lot more good than he ever knew by setting a
sterling example for everyone in that train car.