IIA(2b): Social Learning Theory

3. Reproduction

To reproduce a behavior, the observer must organize responses in accordance with the model. Observer characteristics affecting reproduction include physical and cognitive capabilities and previous performance.

3. Modeling

Additionally, teachers can shape the classroom behavior of students by modelling appropriate behavior and visibly rewarding students for good behavior. By emphasizing the teacher's role as model and encouraging the students to adopt the position of observer, the teacher can make knowledge and practices explicit to students, enhancing their learning outcomes.

2. Reciprocal Learning

An extension of guided participation is reciprocal learning, in which both student and teacher share responsibility in leading discussions.

Reciprocal Determinism

An important factor in social learning theory is the concept of reciprocal determinism. This notion states that just as an individual's behavior is influenced by the environment, the environment is also influenced by the individual's behavior. In other words, a person's behavior, environment, and personal qualities all reciprocally influence each other. For example, a child who plays violent video games will likely influence their peers to play as well, which then encourages the child to play more often. This could lead to the child becoming desensitized to violence, which in turn will likely affect the child's real life behaviors.

1. Guided Participation

For example, using the technique of guided participation, a teacher says a phrase and asks the class to repeat the phrase. Thus, students both imitate and reproduce the teacher's action, aiding retention.

1. Attention

In order to learn, observers must attend to the modeled behavior. Attention is impacted by characteristics of the observer (e.g., perceptual abilities, cognitive abilities, arousal, past performance) and characteristics of the behavior or event (e.g., relevance, novelty, affective valence, and functional value).

2. Retention

In order to reproduce an observed behavior, observers must be able to remember features of the behavior. Again, this process is influenced by observer characteristics (cognitive capabilities, cognitive rehearsal) and event characteristics (complexity).

Social Learning Theory in the Classroom:

Many classroom and teaching strategies draw on principles of social learning to enhance students' knowledge acquisition and retention.

Cognitive Revolution

Prior to 1960, published theories of learning were heavily influenced by theories of classic conditioning, operant conditioning, and the psychoanalytic concept of drives. In 1959, Noam Chomsky published his criticism of B.F. Skinner's book "Verbal Behavior." In his review, Chomsky stated that pure stimulus-response theories of behavior could not account for the process of language acquisition, an argument that contributed significantly to psychology's cognitive revolution.

Social Learning Theory

Social learning theory (Albert Bandura) posits that learning is a cognitive process that takes place in a social context and can occur purely through observation or direct instruction, even in the absence of motor reproduction or direct reinforcement. In addition to the observation of behavior, learning also occurs through the observation of rewards and punishments, a process known as vicarious reinforcement. The theory expands on traditional behavioral theories, in which behavior is governed solely by reinforcements, by placing emphasis on the important roles of various internal processes in the learning individual.

Modeling

Social learning theory draws heavily on the concept of "modeling," or learning by observing a behavior. Bandura outlined three types of modeling stimuli: 1. Live model: in which an actual person is demonstrating the desired behavior. 2. Verbal Instruction: in which an individual describes the desired behavior in detail and instructs the participant in how to engage in the behavior. 3. Symbolic: in which modeling occurs by means of the media, including movies, television, Internet, literature, and radio. Stimuli can be either real or fictional characters.

Key Tenets of Social Learning Theory

Social learning theory integrated behavioral and cognitive theories of learning in order to provide a comprehensive model that could account for the wide range of learning experiences that occur in the real world. As initially outlined by Bandura and Walters in 1963 and further detailed in 1977, key tenets of social learning theory are as follows: 1. Learning is not purely behavioral; rather, it is a "cognitive" process that takes place in a social context. 2. Learning can occur by observing a behavior and by observing the consequences of the behavior ("vicarious reinforcement"). 3. Learning involves observation, extraction of information from those observations, and making decisions about the performance of the behavior (observational learning or "modeling"). Thus, learning can occur without an observable change in behavior. 4. "Reinforcement" plays a role in learning but is not entirely responsible for learning. 5. The learner is not a passive recipient of information. Cognition, environment, and behavior all mutually influence each other ("reciprocal determinism").

4. Motivation

The decision to reproduce (or refrain from reproducing) an observed behavior is dependent on the motivations and expectations of the observer, including anticipated consequences and internal standards. Social Learning theory proposes that rewards aren't the sole force behind creating motivation. Thoughts, beliefs, morals, and feedback all help to motivate us.