Social Learning Theory: A Comprehensive Overview, Slides of Sociology

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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

• aka Social

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

• Self-regulation theory

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)

1. Observe an adult model behave aggressive
2. Observe same adult model and same behaviors, but on film
3. Observe same behaviors performed by a cartoon character
4. 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