Learning Approaches: Social Learning Theory (AQA A Level Psychology)

There was an overall increase in sales of Tiger following the advertisement campaign. Interestingly, the increase in sales was greater for male customers than for female customers. See Table 1 below.

Table 1: Sales figures before and after the Tiger advert

Calculate the percentage increase in sales of Tiger to male customers. Give your answer to two significant figures. Show your workings.

At a local school, teachers took part in Active Lifestyle Week to encourage students to become more active. The week involved daily staff netball matches during break times and a step count challenge.

Two of the teachers were talking at the end of the week. Miss Honey said, “That was such a great week! I felt proud to win the staff step count challenge and receive the medal in assembly and demonstrate the joy of sport. My students loved watching us compete, I really think it will inspire them to be more active themselves!” Mrs Wilson replied, “It’s alright for you, you’re young and the students like you. My students were so embarrassed to see me tripping over in netball. I think I may have put them off sport forever!” Whether or not students learn to be more active could depend on mediational processes.

Explain how mediational processes might be involved in the students becoming more active.

Steph and Georgie are both working mothers.

Steph enjoys being challenged at work. Steph’s daughter listens to her mother’s colleagues praising and admiring Steph’s work and sees the awards she has been presented with in recognition of her effort. Steph’s daughter is an enthusiastic student who is keen to be challenged at school.

Georgie hates her job. Her daughter has heard her boss shout at her down the phone for missing deadlines and sees how tired Georgie is after staying up late working. Georgie’s daughter feels anxious when she is given difficult work and does not want to go to school.

How might vicarious reinforcement explain the different attitudes of Steph’s and Georgie’s daughters to their schoolwork?

Bradley has just started to play snooker and is keen to play well. He watches carefully when his partner takes a difficult shot then tries to copy the same shot. He thinks about how his partner was holding the snooker cue and whether he can do the same.

Social learning theorists refer to the role of mediational processes in learning. Referring to Bradley’s experiences, explain the role of mediational processes in learning.

A television advert for a new cleaning spray, called ‘Tiger’, shows an England rugby player vigorously scrubbing a stain on the carpet. The rugby player gets exhausted and gives up. A small boy says, ‘Only Tiger power will get that out’ and hands the rugby player a bottle of Tiger.

The rugby player draws tiger stripes on his own face, roars and the little boy laughs. The rugby player easily wipes the stain from the carpet using Tiger. The boy claps and the advert ends with the text, ‘Anyone can battle stains with a Tiger on their side.’

Explain how the Tiger advert might influence viewers’ mediational processes

At a local school, teachers took part in Active Lifestyle Week to encourage students to become more active. The week involved daily staff netball matches during breaktimes and a step count challenge.

Two of the teachers were talking at the end of the week. Miss Honey said, “That was such a great week! I felt proud to win the staff step count challenge and receive the medal in assembly and demonstrate the joy of sport. My students loved watching us compete, I really think it will inspire them to be more active themselves!”

Mrs Wilson replied, “It’s alright for you, you’re young and the students like you. My students were so embarrassed to see me tripping over in netball. I think I may have put them off sport forever!”

Apart from mediational processes, use your knowledge of social learning theory to explain Miss Honey’s and Mrs Wilson’s comments.

Steph and Georgie are both working mothers.

Steph enjoys being challenged at work. Steph’s daughter listens to her mother’s colleagues praising and admiring Steph’s work and sees the awards she has been presented with in recognition of her effort. Steph’s daughter is an enthusiastic student who is keen to be challenged at school.

Georgie hates her job. Her daughter has heard her boss shout at her down the phone for missing deadlines and sees how tired Georgie is after staying up late working. Georgie’s daughter feels anxious when she is given difficult work and does not want to go to school.

Explain one strength and one limitation of using social learning theory to explain the different attitudes of Steph’s and Georgie’s daughters.