Social Learning Theory

Social Learning Theory

“One difficulty with many learning theories is their almost exclusive emphasis on the processes of acquisition of

behavior and performance, and their almost total neglect of the content of personality”

~Julian Rotter, 1972

Radical Behaviorism Pros and Cons

Pros: “Scientific”– Deals with observable, measurable phenomena– Rigorous methodology

Con: Ignores the things that make humans “human”– Cognitions – Emotions– “Free Will”

Therefore….

Albert Bandura’s (1960s +) Social Learning Theory– aka Social

Cognitive Theory

Put the “person” back into personality

Theoretical Foundations of Social Learning Theory

Psychodynamic explanations of behavior are flawed – They are based on inferred drives/needs/etc., which

cannot be tested– They ignore conscious cognitions– They ignore situational influences

Radical behaviorism is flawed – It ignores  cognition and emotion (Rotter’s “content of personality”)

e.g., Assumes that actual reinforcement is necessary for learning to occur

e.g., Rejects free will

Bandura’s Triadic Model of Reciprocal Determinism

Environmental Influences

Personal Factors(beliefs, expectations,

self-perceptions)

Overt Behavior

Beyond Reinforcement 1

External reinforcement  isn’t the only way in which behavior is acquired, maintained, or altered

We can also learn by observing, reading, or hearing about others’ behavior– We develop anticipated consequences for our behaviors

Even for behaviors we’re never engaged in

– Our cognitive abilities give us the capability for insight and foresight

Beyond Reinforcement 2

Bandura’s biggest contribution to learning theory:– New patterns of behavior can be acquired in the

absence of external reinforcement– We can pay attention to what others do, and

repeat their actions i.e., We learn through observation, rather than

through direct reinforcement

Self-Regulation and Cognition

We can exercise control over our behavior through self-regulation– We are not slaves to environmental influences– We have free will

Cognition allows us to use previous experiences, rather than trial-and-error, to foresee probable consequences of our acts, and behave accordingly

Self-regulation allows us to choose behaviors that help us to avoid punishments and move towards long-term goals

The Rest of Today’s Lecture

Learning through modeling– Theory– Experimental evidence

Bobo doll studies

– Implications Media use and violence

Interacting with the environment and meeting long-term goals– Self-regulation theory

Modeling We learn much of what we do

through observing and speaking with others (“models”), rather than through personal experience

We form a cognitive image of how to perform certain behaviors through modeling, and use this image as a guide for later behaviors

Basic Processes of Observational Learning 1

1. Attentional Processes(attend to and accurately perceive model’s behavior)

2. Retention Processes(remember the model’s behavior)

Basic Processes of Observational Learning 2

3. Motor Reproduction Processes(translate symbolically coded

memories  of the model’s behavior into new response patterns)

4. Motivational Processes(if positive reinforcement is

potentially available, enact the modeled behavior)

Reinforcement in Observational Learning

Types of Reinforcement Vicarious reinforcement– Vicarious positive reinforcement– Vicarious punishment

Self-reinforcement– Reward or punish self for meeting or failing to

meet own standards

Empirical Evidence of Observational Learning

Children who see an adult behave aggressively might view that aggressive behavior as a positive thing (i.e., expect positive reinforcement of some type for that behavior), and therefore might imitate that aggressive behavior– Bandura & Huston, 1961

Children imitate a model’s aggressive behavior in the presence of the model

– Bandura, Ross, & Ross, 1961 Children imitate a model’s aggressive behavior in a new 

setting, away from the model– Bandura, Ross, & Ross, 1963

Will children imitate a film-model’s aggressive behavior?

Bandura et al., 1961

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

model rewarded

model punished

boys girls Children watch model behave aggressively with Bobo doll

Then model is either rewarded or punished

Then children are frustrated, and allowed access to a room with toys, including a Bobo doll

Do the children imitate the model’s behavior?

Bandura et al., 1963Subjects

48 boys and 48 girls attending Stanford U Nursery School

Mean age 4.3 years Ss are matched across

experimental groups for degree of aggressive behavior shown in nursery school interaction

Exposure to an aggressive model

(4 conditions)1. Observe an adult model

behave aggressive2. Observe same adult model

and same behaviors, but on film

3. Observe same behaviors performed by a cartoon character

4. Control group (no observations)

Response measures1. Total aggression2. Imitative aggression3. Partially imitative

responses Mallet aggression Sitting on the Bobo

doll4. Nonimitative

aggression Aggressive gun play

Bandura et al. Results 1:Total Aggression

Female Male Female Male

Real life model Film modelCartoonModel

No Model Control

Girls Boys

Bandura et al. Results 2:Imitative Aggression

Female Male Female MaleReal life model Film model

Cartoon Control

Girls Boys

Bandura et al. Results 3:Partially Imitative Responses

F M F M

Real life FilmCat Cntrl

Mallet Aggression

F M F MReal life Film

Cat Cntrl

Sits On Bobo Doll

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Girl

s

Boy

s

Girl

s

Boy

s

Girl

s

Boy

s

Girl

s

Boy

s

Total Aggression

ImitativeAggression

MalletAggression

Sit onBobo Doll

Real life mode –Female

Real life model –Male

Film model –Female

Film model –Male

Cartoon

Control

Implications: Eron & Heusmann, 1985

0

10

20

30

40

50

DV: Seriousness of Criminal Act by Age 30

Low LowMed MedHigh High

Frequency of TV Viewing at Age 8

Females Males

Performing the Right Behavior at the Right Time:

Self-Regulation We learn all kinds of

behaviors by observing others

Why don’t we all just run around imitating every behavior we see?

Recall the Triadic Model of Reciprocal Determinism

Environmental Influences

Personal Factors(beliefs, expectations,

self-perceptions)

Overt Behavior

Self-Regulation An important “personal factor” is the ability to self-regulate

Some people are pretty good at this, some people aren’t so good

Self-regulation is probably domain-specific (recall the “environmental influences”  component of the triad model)– Can regulate some things,

but not others

Delay of Gratification

Children who are able to delay gratification at age 5 are less likely to become alcoholics or drug addicts later in life– Specific to appetitive

rewards

Summary We acquire, maintain, and modify behaviors that

we see others perform We decide which behaviors to keep, and when to

use them, by using: – symbolic  thought  (“what are my long term goals?”) – emotion (“damn that Bobo doll!!!”) – self-regulation  (“I really want to stab my prof, but I need an A, so…”)

Bandura and other Social Learning Theorists put the “person” back into personality  by stressing  the interplay of personal factors, environmental factors, and behavior

Thanks

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