Social learning theory was introduced by psychologist Albert Bandura and focuses on learning through observation. Some key points of the theory are:
- People can learn new behaviors by watching others, either through live models or symbolic models like media.
- Mental states like attention, retention, motivation, attitudes, and emotions influence whether an observed behavior is learned and potentially adopted.
- Just because a behavior is learned does not mean it will necessarily result in a behavior change. Learning is influenced by cognitive and environmental factors.