Albert Bandura developed the Social Cognitive Theory, which posits that learning occurs through observation and modeling within a dynamic social environment. Key aspects of the theory include: reciprocal determinism between personal factors, environmental influences, and behavior; observational learning; and self-efficacy. The theory emphasizes how people can learn through observing others, and explores the role of reinforcement, both direct and vicarious. Behavior is explained as being influenced through continuous interaction between cognitive, behavioral, and environmental factors.

1. Suresh Babu G
Assistant Professor
CTE CPAS Paippad, Kottayam
Social cognitive learning –
Albert Bandura

2. The Social Cognitive Theory
 Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) started as
the Social Learning Theory (SLT) in the 1960s
by Albert Bandura. It developed into the SCT in
1986 and posits that learning occurs in
a social context with a dynamic and reciprocal
interaction of the person, environment, and
behavior
 The social-cognitive theory is a theoretical
perspective in which learning by observing
others is the focus of study.

3.  Bandura's social learning theory emphasizes the
importance of observing and modeling the behaviors,
attitudes, and emotional
reactions of others.
 Social learning theory explains human behavior in terms
of continuous reciprocal interaction between cognitive,
behavioral, and environmental influences.
 Bandura's social-cognitive theory is based on the triadic
reciprocity model in which behavior, personal traits and
the environment interact.
 Vicarious reinforcement and punishment also play a role
in determining whether an individual will choose to
engage in a behavior or not.
 Through his research, Bandura observed that
components of learning occur though observation and
modelling behaviors

5. Basic Assumptions of
Social Cognitive Theory
Social-cognitive theory is grounded by several
basic assumptions.
People can learn by observing others.
Internal process may or may not lead to a
behaviour
Goal-directed behaviour
Behaviour eventually becomes self-regulated
 Punishment and reinforcement have indirect
effects on the learning process (Hurst, 2014).

6. Factors or Steps in Social learning theory
Four important factors in social learning
(Observational learning)
Attention
Pay attention to the model is a condition for learning
Retention
Remembering what the model did is a condition for
imitating the model’s behaviour
Reproduction
People must have a capacity (eg. Skills) for imitating
the behaviour
Motivation
People may be motivated to imitate behaviour
(eg. Importence of model or reward)
imitating

9. Key Constructs of Social
Cognitive Theory
Key constructs of social cognitive theory that
are relevant to nutritional intervention include
• Observational learning,
• Reinforcement,
• Self-control, and
• Self-efficacy

10. Reinforcement
Bandura and Walters emphasize the importance of
reinforcement in situations where a person
observes the actions of another person (model)
who is reinforced or punished for these actions.
Three Forms of Reinforcement
1. Direct Reinforcement - Occurs when an
individual watches a model perform, imitates
that behavior and is reinforced or punished by
some individual.
Eg. Saying vary good

11. 2. Vicarious Reinforcement - The observer
anticipates receiving a reward for behaving in a
given way because someone else has been so
rewarded. Eg. When one study in advance like
other.
3. Self –Reinforcement - The individuals strives to
meet personal standards and does not depend
on or care about the reaction of others.

12. Model Behaviour
Imitation is influenced by the nature of
reinforcement. Models may be divided
into:
1. Real life models – it includes
teachers, parents, friends, film
actors, sports stars etc.
2. Symbolic models – It includes verbal
material, pictorial and representation
(film and TV) written materials,
books etc.
Both type of models are equally
effective in learning

13. Social Cognitive learning

14. Factors influencing Social Learning
• Stimulus properties of the model –
model’s age, sex and economic
status , and similarity of models.
• Types of behaviour exemplified by
the model – Novel skills, Hostile or
aggressive response and standard
self reward.
• Consequences of model’s
behaviour – rewared
behaviour is likely to
be imitated.

15. Key Concepts
• Self-Efficacy - A person’s belief that they can
successfully perform behaviors that will produce
desired effects. Judgment of personal capacity.
• Simulation – Simulation may be defined as a role-
playing in which the process of teaching is
enacted artificially, and an effort is made to
practice some important skills of communication.
Simulation is the basis of sensitivity training, socio-
drama, role-playing, and psychodrama.
Simulation

16. Educational implications of Social
Cognitive Theory
 Students learn by observing and imitating , so give
experiments, display materials, introduce model
persons.
 Stress importance to rewards and punishments in
learning.
 Develop soci-cultural relation between teacher and
student
 Need of audio visual aids in teaching-learning
 Organization of multiple activity in learning
 Use modeling for health education , life-centered
and productive educational practice
 Include role play , simulation, experimentation etc