Social learning theory (Social cognitive theory)

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Social learning theory(Social cognitive theory)

• By Mr Daniel Hansson

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Social Learning Theory

• According to Bandura, personality is shaped by an
  interaction among cognitive factors, behaviors
  and environmental factors. This interaction is
  termed reciprocal determinism.

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Cognitive factors

• Our dispositional factors beliefs, expectations,
  values, intentions, social roles, emotional
  makeup and biological and genetic influences

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Questions for discussion

1. What are you good at?
2. What are you not good at?
3. What are you bad at?
4. Take the locus of control test. We will discuss
   the test in class.

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Behavioural factors

• Our skills, practice and self efficacy
• Self efficacy Similar to confidence. The belief
  that one is capable of performing a certain
  behaviour to attain a certain goal

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Environmental factors

• Our social, political and cultural influences and
  personal learning experiences

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Explanation of learning

• Learning comes from observing others behaviour
  and observing the consequences of the behaviour
• 1. Attention. The learner must attend the
  behaviour
• 2. Retention. The learner must remember the
  behaviour
• 3. Motor reproduction. The learner must be able
  to act what she has seen
• 4. Motivation. The learner must feel motivated to
  demonstrate what he/she has learned

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Factors that may influence learning

• Consistency. The model (the person the learner is
  imitating) behaves in a way that is consistent
  across situations
• Identification The learner can identify with the
  model
• Rewards/punishment. We can learn from the
  consequences of the models behaviour. (vicarious
  learning)
• Liking The more we like the model, the more
  likely we are to imitate his or her behaviour

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Supporting/challenging studies

• Bandura (1961)
• Eron (1986)
• Kimball and Zabrack (1986)
• Becker (1995)

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Bandura, Ross Ross (1961)

• Children watched a model being aggressive to a
  bobo doll
• Children imitated the model were aggressive to
  the bobo doll

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Evaluation of study

• Ethical problem of using children (cannot give
  consent, were taught aggressive behaviour)
• Study was well controlled (children were matched
  with children of equal aggression, age and same
  gender)
• Childrens aggressive behaviour was
  quantitatively measured by two observers (teacher
  of the children and the model) through a one way
  mirror glass
• Possible demand characteristics
• Problems of ecological validity and
  generalizability

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Evaluation of theory - strengths

• Empirical support (e.g. studies, mirror neuron
  research, animal observations of social learning)
• Application (education, therapy)
• To understand learning, aggression, depression,
  to predict behaviour
• Interactionistic emphasizes dispositional,
  situational and sociocultural factors

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Evaluation of theory - limitations

• Empirical challenges (e.g.Kimball and Zabrack
  1986)
• Methodological problems of studies
• Not all behaviour is learned through social
  learning. There are other types of learning
  (operant conditioning, classical conditioning,
  direct instruction) There is a hereditary factor
  for many behaviours

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Links to the bobo doll experiment

• http//psychclassics.yorku.ca/Bandura/bobo.htm
  (original article on the Bobo doll experiment)
• http//www.holah.karoo.net/bandura.htm
  (information on the Bobo doll experiment)
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vBTB-I-L3YIE (video
  about Bobo doll experiment)

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Social learning activity

• Teach a partner a simple skill that you know how
  to do
• Your partner must be unable to do the skill
• You must be able to teach the skill within a
  short time span (5-10 minutes) and without
  harming anyone
• At the end of the activity your partner should be
  able to perform the skill. It is voluntary if
  he/she wants to show it to the rest of the class

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Examples of skills that you can teach

• A simple nursery rhyme
• Song (you may only recite it, you do not have to
  sing it)
• Poem
• Some vocabulary from another language
• Dance steps
• Computer game or program
• A simple motor movement

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Discussion

• What cognitive, environmental and behavioral
  factors affected the outcome and success of
  learning the skill?
• How could teaching/learning have been improved?