Social learning theory - Bandura (1977)

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Cards (40)

  • Bandura (1977)

    Believes humans are active information processors and think about the relationship between their behaviour and its consequences
  • Social learning theory
    Emphasizes the importance of observing, modelling, and imitating the behaviours, attitudes, and emotional reactions of others
  • Social learning theory
    Considers how both environmental and cognitive factors interact to influence human learning and behaviour
  • Bandura (1977) agrees with the behaviorist learning theories of classical conditioning and operant conditioning
  • Mediating processes

    Occur between stimuli & responses
  • Behaviour
    Is learned from the environment through the process of observational learning
  • Observational learning
    1. Attention
    2. Retention
    3. Reproduction
    4. Motivation
    5. Reinforcement
  • Attention
    In order to learn through observation, we must pay attention to or closely watch a model's behaviour and the consequences
  • Factors influencing attention
    • Perceptual capabilities of the observer
    • Motivation and interest level of the observer
    • Situation in which the behaviour is being observed
    • Kinds of distractors present
    • Characteristics of the model
  • Retention
    Having observed the model, we must be able to remember the model's behaviour and store it in memory
  • Reproduction
    The ability to perform the behaviour that the model has just demonstrated
  • Motivation
    The observer must be motivated to perform the behaviour
  • Types of reinforcement
    • External reinforcement
    • Vicarious reinforcement
    • Self-reinforcement
  • Observational learning
    A key aspect of social learning theory, where individuals learn and adopt behaviours by observing others
  • Model
    Individuals that are observed
  • Types of models
    • Live model
    • Verbal instructional model
    • Symbolic model
  • Vicarious reinforcement
    Occurs indirectly by observing the modelled behaviour being reinforced without personally experiencing the reinforcement
  • Exposure to positive role models in education enhances a sense of belonging, especially for groups subjected to negative stereotypes like women and racial minorities in STEM
  • Students who read about the challenges overcome by famous scientists performed better than those who read only about their achievements
  • Observing perseverance fosters personal performance
  • Role models' successes should be achievable. If aspirants believe they can attain similar success, they're more motivated
  • An effective role model is someone others see as similar or relatable
  • Extensive observation of violence can bias children's world schemas toward attributing hostility or negative intentions to others' actions
  • Repeated exposure to media violence can lead to desensitization
  • Playing violent video games allows for enactive learning of aggression
  • Strengths of social learning theory
    • It provides a more comprehensive explanation of human learning by recognizing the role of mediational processes
    • It can explain many more complex social behaviours (such as gender roles and moral behaviour) than models of learning based on simple reinforcement
  • Limitations of social learning theory
    • Lack of clarity about cognitive processes
    • Overemphasis on observation
    • Difficulty in predicting behaviour
    • Neglect of biological factors
  • The discovery of mirror neurons has lent biological support to the social learning theory
  • Vicarious reinforcement – occurs indirectly by observing the modelled behaviour being reinforced without personally experiencing the reinforcement
    • self-efficacy – which is our belief in our ability to succeed in particular situations