Understanding and Comprehension of Social Learning Theory - Case Study Example

Introduction Mary who is 16, had been arrested for murder, a crime she committed with her female accomplice, 18 in a street robbery by stabbing and killing a male tourist. She had a very complicated family background. Her natural father was a heavy drinker and a violent man who later left when she was 9. Her stepfather even made things worse as he was abusing her physically and sexually. Sexual abuse is the reason she believes made her elder sister, 18 ran away from home when she was 16. Her mother, who goes drinking with her stepfather, neglected them emotionally and physically. All these made Mary a hard to handle and rebellious child. One night, Mary ran away from home after her drunken stepfather attempted to sexually abuse her. She went to live roughly on the streets where she was engaged into drinking, illegal drugs, petty thefts and casual sex. In order to meet their increased rate of using of drugs, she and her co-offender decided to commit robbery where they killed the tourist and robbed him his wallet and watch. The crime is attributed to her background where her behaviour can be explained through social learning theory. The theory has been applied in explanation of a variety of criminal behaviours. According to Bandura (1977), violence is learned through behavioural modelling. Akers and Sellers (2004) also use the social learning theory to elucidate various arrangements of criminal behaviours. They state that individuals usually engage in behaviours which they have previously experienced other people doing especially the ones always close to them. According to Bandura & Ribes-Inesta (1976), individuals do not actually inherit the tendencies of violence but they usually model them after the Bandura’s three principles. The first principle states that highest level of learning through observation is attained by symbolically rehearsing and organizing the modelled behaviour and then enacting it openly. The second principle states that an individual has a high possibility of adopting a modelled behaviour if he or she values the outcome. Finally, an individual is more likely to embrace the modelled behaviour given that the model and the observer are similar. He added that the individuals, most likely the children, usually learn aggressive responses by observing others through the environment, media or personally. The individuals believe that aggression will lead to reinforcements where the reinforcement can formulate into gain of financial reward, building of self-esteem among others (Siegel, 1992). Bandura strongly believed that aggression reinforced by family members is the main source of behaviour modelling. He added that children apply the aggressive tactics that are demonstrated by their parents when dealing with others. In order to explain aggression in children, Bandura performed a Bobo Doll experiment where he used children to witness a model that was aggressively attacking a plastic crown referred to as a Bobo Doll. These children watched a video where a model aggressively hit a doll, repeatedly punched the model and kicked it across the room. The results showed that the more than 80% of the children imitated the aggressive behaviour. Eight months after the video, about 40% of the same children reproduced the aggressive behaviour that they had witnessed in the doll experiment (Bandura, 1977). In his continued interest in aggression, and in particular the children, he found out that this problem needs to be treated and diagnosed during childhood. He further stated that the aggressive behaviour is learned by the children from the violent act of adults, more likely the family members (Siegel, 1992). Bandura argues that children learn aggressive behaviours through observation. The willingness of the children to imitate these behaviours is mostly affected by the observed consequences of the actions of the model. He also describes observational learning as a modelling or imitation. He identified three sources of influence of aggressive behaviour in children; observational learning and modelling, environment and through media. The processes of observational learning and modelling involve four steps which are: attention, retention, motor reproduction and motivation or reinforcement (McLeod. 2011). Thus, given that Mary is still a child and following her family’s background, the Bandura’s social learning theory provides a clear explanation of her behaviour. This article will explain the criminal behaviour of Mary using observational learning and the environment as the sources of her violent behaviour. Observational learning and modelling Mary’s behaviour is mainly attributed to observational learning where she observed and imitated the behaviours of family members which in this case are the models. It is worth noting that the observed individual is referred to as a model. Bandura (1977) described the modelling process in four steps which include attention, retention, motor reproduction and reinforcement or motivation. Attention is the first step of the observational learning process. In this step, an individual will pay attention to some models then decode the behaviour of these models. Thus, reproducing the behaviour of the model requires attending to what the model is saying or doing (Allen & Santrock, 1993). In case, Mary’s aggressive behaviour can be related to paying attention to three models in her family namely: her natural father, stepfather and the mother. The first model is her natural father who she remembers as a violent man who could beat the members of the family without reason and later abandoned them when she was 9. He was a drunkard and spent several terms in prison for various violence and property offences. Thus, Mary can be said to have paid attention of what natural father was saying or doing. The second model is her mother. Her mother is regarded as a distant and an incompetent parent in regard to her children as she concentrated on drinking and maintaining her relationship their stepfather. Thus, she witnessed her mothers’ behaviour as a model. Finally, her step father is another model who she regards as worse. She witnessed her stepfather’s verbal, physical and sexual abuse, factors which she thought made her elder sister to run away from home. Retention is the second step which involves the ability to store what an individual has learned. Allen & Santrock (1993) stated that an individual must code certain information into long term memory in order to be able to reproduce the modelled behaviour. Memory is a very important cognitive process which will aid the observer to code and retrieve information. In our case, Mary describes how her natural father was beating the entire family without any reason and they way he was always drunk. In addition, she recalls how he rarely worked and how he spent most of his time serving short terms in prison due to his violent behaviour and taking other people’s property. She also recalls how her stepfather sexually abused her since she was 14. She believed that her elder sister had escaped from home due to the same behaviour of their stepfather. She still recalls how the stepfather abused her physically and verbally. From her mother’s behaviour she also put it in her mind that her mother did not care about her and other siblings. It is during this stage that she was able to store all the behaviours that she had witnessed from the three models. She imitated this aggression and this information was coded and stored in her memory. Motor reproduction is the third step in observational learning. In this step, the observer must be in a condition to reproduce the behaviour of the model. The observer must be able to learn and posses the physical capabilities of the behaviour of the model. Once an individual learns the behaviour through attention and retention, he or she needs physical capabilities in order to be able to produce an aggressive act (Bandura, 1977). In our case, Mary’s natural father had served several short imprisonment terms in regard to violence and property offences. In addition, she also learned physical violence from her natural father and stepfather in addition to drinking habit from the three models. Once she learned the behaviours from the three models she then required physical capabilities in order to produce the act of aggression. Thus, she had the physical capabilities of confronting the tourist and grabbing his belongings. The final step in observational learning is reinforcement or motivation. In this stage an individual will expect positive reinforcement from the behaviour of the model. External reinforcement is created when the peers or the parents approves the behaviour. Internal reinforcement when an individual feels happy on approval of the behaviour. If an individual witnesses an aggressive behaviour in a family setting, he or she will attend, code, retrieve as well as posses the capabilities and perform the behaviour of the model. Thus, an individual who witnesses the success of the models from their aggressive behaviours will perform the same act in order to be rewarded (Bootzin, Bowers, Crocker, 1991). From the case, Mary has been experiencing the same kind of aggressive behaviour from different models within the family. Thus, after her natural father and stepfather abuse her, no one see it as a problem as it looks as a normal process that is supported by the family. This is made stronger by her mother who does not react to her daughter’s concerns of being sexually abused by her stepfather. This according to Mary may be seen as way of approval to the behaviour of the models especially by her mother. In addition, Mary is seen as a hard to handle and rebellious child with her behaviour continuing to deteriorate in a rapid way. Her colleagues in school who were supposed change her behaviour are said to be similar to her. This is a way of reinforcing her aggressive behaviour. Thus, as she continued to age, her experiences really affected her personality. This turned her into a violent youth. Environmental experiences According to Barunda (1976), environmental experiences play an important role in influencing the social learning of the aggressive behaviour in children. He reported that those who live in areas of high rates of crime are more likely to engage in violent acts as compared to those dwelling in areas of low crime rates. It is believed that those who live in areas surrounded by culture conflict, decay as well as insufficient social organisations are related to major cause of criminality (Bartollas, 1990). In this case, the people surrounding her in the family represent a decayed culture. Beginning with her natural father as the first model, he doesn’t see any appropriate way of solving domestic issues in his family other that beating every member of the family. He also shows his irresponsible behaviour in the community by being always drunk. In addition, he sees has been imprisoned for various times due to issues of violence as well taking other people’s property. The behaviour exposed by her father shows a decayed culture. Her stepfather who has also become worse than her natural father is also an indication of a decayed culture. A man who is supposed to be her father, who she is supposed to rely on for protection, is the one who sexually abuses her. His behaviour is one of the immoral practices expected in a decayed society. Her mother is supposed to fulfil her role as a woman in the society but instead she doesn’t care what happens to her children. She cannot believe that her daughter is talking the truth about sexual abuse experienced from her stepfather. In addition, she prefers going drinking with her husband a behaviour that made her to forget the responsibility of taking care of her family. Bartollas, (1990) describes such actions in the society as the major causes of criminality which in this case has led to her arrest. After Mary ran away from home, she joined homeless youths who lived roughly on the streets. Such environments are expected to have various acts of violence and high crimes. It is at this place that she learned to stay out all hours and began to drink regularly. In addition she started to experiment illegal drugs, shoplifting and practising behaviours that she learned from her natural father such as petty thefts. Given that she had already being sexually abused by her stepfather, she took to the streets and engaged in casual sex with an aim of making money. With the rising and uncontrolled need for drugs, she and her co-offender ended up in committing a crime which led to the murder of a tourist and grabbing of his properties. It is worth noting that greatest portion of her violent behaviour can be attributed to her three models (natural father, stepfather and mother). the behaviours of these models led to the reinforcement of her violent behaviour that resulted to her arrest. Conclusion Using social learning theory, it is clear that the greatest portion of the behaviour of human is learned by observation through modelling. That is, when an individual observes others, he or she develops an idea on the way to perform new ideas and later, this coded information will serve as a guide for action. This theory is the most appropriate theory in relation to criminology. Bandura believed that violence is learned through a process of behaviour modelling. According to him, individuals do not really inherit violent tendencies but they usually model them after the social learning theory’s three principles. He argued that most individuals, in particular children learn aggressive behaviours as a result of observing others, either through the environment or personally. This theory explains the modelling process in four steps which are: attention, retention, motor reproduction and reinforcement or motivation. Environmental experiences also play an important role in influencing the social learning of the aggressive behaviour in children. Those who live in areas of high rates of crime are more likely to engage in violent act as compared to those dwelling in areas of low crime rates. Based on the case study, Mary has learned her aggressive behaviour observationally through modelling. When she observed her models, she developed an idea on the performance of new ideas, where the coded information acted as a guide for her violent act.. She witnessed violent behaviour, she stored it in her memory in long-term, she used her physical capability to be violent and finally, she was motivated by her family and peers to make the violent act successful. This led to her arrest for committing murder. Environmentally, the surrounding environment both at home and on the street is associated with high crime and violent acts. She lived in an environment that exposed her to sexual abuse, theft, verbal and physical violence. The environment was characterised by excessive drinking of alcohol and failed role for her mother in taking care of her children. Such a decayed culture is associated with high rates of crime and it contributed to the violent behaviour. In addition, the society on the street reinforced her behaviours by engaging into petty thefts, casual sex, and illegal drugs. Finally, they were arrested for murder, a crime she committed with he co-offender. Thus, Bandura’s social learning theory indicates that Mary’s act of violence was contributed by the behaviour of her models who in this case are her natural father, stepfather and her mother. References Akers, R.L. & Sellers, C.S. (2004). Criminological Theories: Introduction, Evaluation, and Application (4th ed). Los Angeles: Roxbury Publishing. Allen,L., & Santrock, J. (1993). The Contexts of Behavior Psychology, Brown & Benchmark Press: Madison, WI. Bandura, A. & Ribes-Inesta, E. (1976). Analysis of Delinquency and Aggression, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, INC: New Jersey Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory, New York: General Learning Press. Bartollas, C. (1990). Juvenile Delinquency, Macmillan Publishing Company, New York Bootzin, R., Bower, G., Crocker, J. (1991). Psychology Today, McGraw-Hill: New York McLeod, S. A. (2011). Albert Bandura | Social Learning Theory. Retrieved on July 23, 2012 from http://www.simplypsychology.org/bandura.html Seigel, L. (1992). Criminology, West Publishing Company: St. Paul, Minn Read More