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Social
Learning
Theory
Social Learning Theory
“One difficulty with many learning theories is their almost exclusive emphasis on the processes of acquisition of behavior and performance, and their almost total neglect of the content of personality” ~Julian Rotter, 1972
Therefore….
Albert Bandura’s
(1960s +) Social
Learning Theory
Cognitive Theory
Put the “person”
back into
personality
Theoretical Foundations of
Social Learning Theory
Psychodynamic explanations of behavior are
flawed
- They are based on inferred drives/needs/etc., which
cannot be tested
- They ignore conscious cognitions
- They ignore situational influences
Radical behaviorism is flawed
- It ignores cognition and emotion (Rotter’s “content of
personality”)
e.g., Assumes that actual reinforce m ent is necessary for
learning to occur e.g., Rejects free will
Beyond Reinforcement 1
External reinforcement isn’t the only way in
which behavior is acquired, maintained, or altered
We can also learn by observing, reading, or
hearing about others’ behavior
- We develop anticipated consequences for our behaviors Even for behaviors we’re never engaged in
- Our cognitive abilities give us the capability for insight
and foresight
Beyond Reinforcement 2
Bandura’s biggest contribution to learning
theory:
- New patterns of behavior can be acquired in the absence of external reinforce m ent
- We can pay attention to what others do, and
repeat their actions
i.e., We learn through observation, rather than
through direct reinforcement
The Rest of Today’s Lecture
Learning through modeling
- Theory
- Experimental evidence Bobo doll studies
- Implications Media use and violence
Interacting with the environment and meeting
long-term goals
Modeling
We learn much of what we do through observing and speaking with others (“models”), rather than through personal experience
We form a cognitive image of how to perform certain behaviors through modeling, and use this image as a guide for later behaviors
Basic Processes of
Observational Learning 2
3. Motor Reproduction Processes
(translate symbolically coded
memories of the model’s behavior
into new response patterns)
4. Motivational Processes
(if positive reinforcement is
potentially available, enact the
modeled behavior)
Reinforcement in
Observational Learning
T ypes of Reinforcement
Vicarious reinforcement
- Vicarious positive reinforcement
- Vicarious punishment
Self-reinforcement
- Reward or punish self for meeting or failing to
meet own standards
Bandura et al., 1961
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
model rewarded
model punished
Children watch model boys girls
behave aggressively with
Bobo doll
Then model is either
rewarded or punished
Then children are
frustrated, and allowed
access to a room with
toys, including a Bobo
doll
Do the children imitate the
model’s behavior?
Bandura et al., 1963
Subjects
48 boys and 48 girls
attending Stanford U
Nursery School
Mean age 4.3 years
Ss are matched across
experimental groups for
degree of aggressive
behavior shown in
nursery school
interaction
Exposure to an
aggressive model
(4 conditions)
- Observe an adult model behave aggressive
- Observe same adult model and same behaviors, but on film
- Observe same behaviors performed by a cartoon character
- Control group (no observations)
Bandura et al. Results 1:
Total Aggression
Female Male^ Female Male
Real life model Film model
Cartoon Model
No Model Control
Girls Boys
Bandura et al. Results 2:
Imitative Aggression
Female Male Female Male
Real life model Film model
Cartoon Control
Girls Boys