Social learning theory

1. Social Learning Theory
by
Ibrar Ahmad

2. Table of contexts
 Presenter
 An overview of Social Learning Theory
 Mass Media & Social Learning Theory
 Modeling
 Bobo Doll Experiment
 Core Assumptions
 How the environment reinforces and punishes modeling
 This is in several possible ways
 Behaviors that can be learned through modeling
 Effects of modeling on behavior
 References

3. Presenter:
In 1941, Miller and Dollard proposed the theory of social
learning. In 1963, Bandura and Walters broadened the social
learning theory with the principles of observational learning
and vicarious reinforcement. Bandura provided his concept of
self-efficacy in 1977, while he disproved the traditional
learning theory for understanding learning.

4. An overview of Social Learning Theory
Social Learning Theory is a general theory of human
behavior, but Bandura and people concerned with mass
communication have used it specifically to explain
media effects. Bandura warned that children and adults
acquire attitudes, emotional responses, and new styles
of conduct through filmed and televised modelling.

5. Example
Mass media contents showing violent behavior towards a specific
ethnic group or widely distributing stereotypes pertaining to
gender characteristics (e.g. girls are emotional and boys are
logical) may be learned and imitated on the individual level. If
negative outcomes result and become widespread, the line
between mass media's accountability and individual
accountability may not be apparent thus creating a cycle where
mass media plays the "individuals can make their own decisions"
game while individuals comprising society collectively learns via
media to internalize negative attitude towards minorities.

6. Mass Media & Social Learning Theory
Social Learning Theory in media pertains to how learning can be
facilitated by mere observation of what's being presented through
media. Albert Bandura cautioned that TV might create a violent
reality that was worth fearing. Bandura's warning struck a responsive
chord in parents and educators who feared that escalating violence on
TV would transform children into bullies. Bandura regards anxiety
over televised violence as legitimate.

7. Modeling
The phenomenon of behavior reenactment is called as modeling. It
is the acquisition of behavior through observation.
Bandura proposed that the modeling process involves several steps:
1. Attention – in order for an individual to learn something, they must pay attention
to the features of the modeled behavior.
2. Retention – humans need to be able to remember details of the behavior in order
to learn and later reproduce the behavior.
3. Reproduction – in reproducing a behavior, an individual must organize his or her
responses in accordance with the model behavior. This ability can improve with
practice.
4. Motivation – there must be an incentive or motivation driving the individual’s
reproduction of the behavior. Even if all of the above factors are present, the person
will not engage in the behavior without motivation.

8. Bobo Doll Experiment
Social learning or “observational learning” involves how behaviors
and attitudes can be modeled merely by observing the behaviors and
attitudes of others. Bandura preformed an experiment called the Bobo
Doll Experiment involving having children observe adults displaying
aggressive behavior toward a doll named Bobo. The adults punched,
kicked, and verbally insulted the doll, all in the children's presence.
The result of the experiment showed a marked increase in aggressive
behavior from the children toward Bobo the doll. These results tend to
support the Social Learning Theory.

9.  People can learn by observing the behavior is of others and the outcomes of
those behaviors.
 Learning can occur without a change in behavior. Behaviorists say that learning
has to be represented by a permanent change in behavior, in contrast social
learning theorists say that because people can learn through observation
alone, their learning may not necessarily be shown in their performance.
Learning may or may not result in a behavior change.
 Cognition plays a role in learning. Over the last 30 years social learning theory
has become increasingly cognitive in its interpretation of human learning.
Awareness and expectations of future reinforcements or punishments can have
a major effect on the behaviors that people exhibit.
Core Assumptions

10. Cognition plays a role in learning. Over the last
30 years social learning theory has become
increasingly cognitive in its interpretation of
human learning. Awareness and expectations of
future reinforcements or punishments can have
a major effect on the behaviors that people
exhibit.
Social learning theory can be considered a
bridge or a transition between behaviorist
learning theories and cognitive learning
theories.

11. How the environment reinforces and
punishes modeling
People are often reinforced for modeling the
behavior of others. Bandura suggested that the
environment also reinforces modeling.

12. This is in several possible ways:
 The observer is reinforced by the model. For example a
student who changes dress to fit in with a certain group of
students has a strong likelihood of being accepted and thus
reinforced by that group.
 The observer is reinforced by a third person. The observer
might be modeling the actions of someone else, for
example, an outstanding class leader or student. The
teacher notices this and compliments and praises the
observer for modeling such behavior thus reinforcing that
behavior.

13.  The imitated behavior itself leads to reinforcing consequences.
Many behaviors that we learn from others produce satisfying or
reinforcing results. For example, a student in my multimedia class
could observe how the extra work a classmate does is fun. This
student in turn would do the same extra work and also receive
enjoyment.
 Consequences of the model's behavior affect the observer’s
behavior vicariously. This is known as vicarious reinforcement. This
is where in the model is reinforced for a response and then the
observer shows an increase in that same response. Bandura
illustrated this by having students watch a film of a model hitting a
inflated clown doll. One group of children saw the model being
praised for such action. Without being reinforced, the group of
children began to also hit the doll .

14. Behaviors that can be learned
through modeling:
Behaviors can be learned, at least partly, through modeling.
Examples that can be cited are, students can watch parents read,
students can watch the demonstrations of mathematics problems,
or seen someone acting bravely and a fearful situation.
Aggression can be learned through models. Much research
indicate that children become more aggressive when they
observed aggressive or violent models. Moral thinking and moral
behavior are influenced by observation and modeling. This
includes moral judgments regarding right and wrong which can in
part, develop through modeling.

15. Effects of modeling on behavior
 Modeling teaches new behaviors.
 Modeling influences the frequency of previously
learned behaviors.
 Modeling may encourage previously forbidden
behaviors.
 Modeling increases the frequency of similar
behaviors. For example a student might see a friend
excel in basketball and he tries to excel in football
because he is not tall enough for basketball.

16. References:
 Bandura, Albert. Social Learning Theory. Englewood Cliffs,
NJ: Prentice Hall,1977.
 Bandura, Albert. "The Role of Modeling Processes in
Personality Development." National Association for the
Education of Young Children ( IW 6: 42-58. Print.
 Bandura, A. (1936). Social foundations of thought and action: A
social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
 Ormrod, J.E. (1999). Human learning (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.