Albert Big Al Bandura Social Learning and Aggression

Albert “Big Al” Bandura Social Learning and Aggression

A complete theory of aggression must explain: • Acquisition • Initiation (use) • Maintenance

Acquisition • How do people learn aggression? – Vicarious Learning • Family, Subculture, Mass Media – Direct Experience (Operant) • Not “mechanical, ” but Cognitive • Bandura – Aggression learned through observation and refined through reinforced practice

Instigation • Biologically based motivators – Result of damage to body, “painful” • Cognitively based motivators – Ability to represent future consequences in our thought

Instigators (Motivation) • Aversive Instigators – Physical assualt (get hit) • But, not “frustration-aggression” • Will hitting back reduce pain in future? • Is hitting back in behavioral repertoire? – Verbal threats/insults – Aversive changes in life conditions – Thwarting of goal behaviors

Instigators • Incentive Instigators – “Anticipated rewards” or a “pull” towards aggression – How can we anticipate? • Our experience and/or observation of others • Modeling Instigators – Bobo doll

Instigators • Instructional Instigators – Nazi Germany • Delusional Instigators – “my toaster told me to do it”

Maintaining Aggressive Behavior • Maintenance Mechanisms – External Reinforcement (Operant) – Self-Regulatory Mechanisms • Self-reward, self-punishment (based on moral code) • Disengagement of internal control