Amanda Larson

Dr. Hawkes

Educational Psychology

7 April 2016

Social Learning Theory

The social learning theory describes how people may or may not learn new behaviors,

values, and attitudes. There are multiple assumptions or additives that come with the theory. The

first is that learning may or may not result in a behavior change, there is no certainty for any case

as to what will be the outcome. Goals that are observed influence behavior patterns; which

relates to the fact that people learn to regulate their own behavior after time has passed. Within

the assumptions are sub categories that take form of the skeleton for the social learning theory.

The main bones of the theory are: psychologist Albert Bandura, successful and unsuccessful

models, self-efficacy and self-regulation.

Albert Bandura, the well-known psychologist is the one who proposed the Social

Learning Theory and the concept of self-efficacy. Bandura stressed the importance of

observation for learning whether it be imitation or modeling. Bandura stated in 1977, Learning

would be exceedingly laborious, not to mention hazardous, if people had to rely solely on the

effects of their own actions to inform them what to do. Fortunately, most human behavior is

learned from observing others. One forms an idea of how new behaviors are performed, and on

later occasions this coded information serves as a guide for action. This is a true conclusion, and
can be witnessed once one recalls events or situations that shaped them or others into the people

they have become. (Cherry, Kendra)

Unknowingly when observing situations, behaviors, and other people subjects are

experiencing modeling. Modeling/observational learning contains response facilitation,

inhibition, and disinhibition. Response facilitation is a form of reinforced behavior that utilizes

positive or negative ways to result in a behavior. An example of positive reinforcement is when a

teacher praises a student for the excellent work they completed. Whereas a negative

reinforcement would be teacher nagging on a student to complete a project and after the student

has time to complain themselves then the project may be completed. (Heffner, Christopher L.

Dr.)

Response inhibition is the structure of punished behavior; a process where a consequence

follows a behavior in hopes of decreasing that behavior. Positive punishment in specific

situations may take place in a public setting. An example would be a child whom performs an

unfavorable act, such as picking their nose, stealing a toy from another child, the teacher then

draws attention to the student when reprimanding them in front of the class. Negative

punishment is slightly different in the sense that when reprimanding the authority figure takes

something away from the student. (Prince, Kelly)

Response disinhibition is shown in the figure of no punishment, a technique where

students are not punished or reprimanded for inappropriate behavior. An example of this is a

student performing an unsuitable behavior in the classroom and the teacher does not give this

student attention. The teacher does not react to the students behavior and after multiple
occurrences of this behavior the student begins to see that this behavior will neither give them

praise or consequences.

With observational learning comes multiple genres of models. The genres include:

competence, prestige or power, gender appropriate, and situationally relevant. Competence,

possessing a required skill, for defining a model is someone who is skilled in a profession or

occupation. Competence models would include: professors of specific topics, preacher/pastors of

churches, and construction contractors/works. Prestige or power models are a population that

have a legal position or power, or they are held up as people of a community as an idol. People

who possess power would be: the president of the Unites States, legislation officers, and law

enforcement. Prestige models fall under the population that is celebrities, most known for social

advances that they have had in their careers.

These models would include people in relations to: Oprah Winfrey, athletic legends,

musicians, and other people who have accumulated popularity from social events. Gender

Appropriate models are those who fall under the stereotypes such as: men firefighters and

EMTs, women interior designers, and other stereotypes that have been created over decades.

Situationally relevant models are people who fit specific situations or items. An example of this

is movie stars who play the same type of roles in all of the movies they star in, talk show hosts

being on television and promoting different products and speaking on topics of the world, and

celebrities being paired with distinct names or products that they may be known for.

For these genres of models to be productive in influencing people and to be applied in the

classroom they must contain circumstances which make them desirable. These circumstances

are: attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation. Attention of the student will be successful

if the model being used is productive and not distracting. If a model has a novel aspect to it that
will also cause people to be more interested and pay more attention to what is being presented to

them. Retention becomes possible when the student is able to bring up information later in time

that they: have learned or been exposed to, meaning that they remember what the model did.

Reproduction is when the student performs the behavior they have observed, and with time

improvement and skill advancement in such behavior. Finally motivation is the desire to

repetitively perform and recall the model that had been shown. With any behavior

reinforcements and punishments can occur, so it is up to the student to decide if the behavior is

worth performing. An example of this in the classroom would be if points were given for

attendance. The student may be more apt to attend if their attendance itself has a reward.

(Cherry, Kendra)

With the various genres of models and the conditions for making them successful cones

the different forms of models that are in the media which surround people in their daily lives.

One model in the media is the message that violent video games are telling adolescent students.

Are these games telling young students that violence is an acceptable behavior to perform?

Another model in the media may be the different views and actions of celebrities. If a celebrity

that young students adore is performing inappropriate actions and speaking on topics unsuitable

for young students should those students be exposed to that celebrity?

Self-efficacy is ones belief in their ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish

a task. (Wikipedia)

People's beliefs about their abilities have a profound effect on those abilities.

Ability is not a fixed property; there is a huge variability in how you perform.
 People who have a sense of self-efficacy bounce back from failure; they approach

things in terms of how to handle them rather than worrying about what can go

wrong, Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control, 1996 (Cherry, Kendra)

Students who have a great sense of their self-efficacy are the students who are not

discouraged by criticism and are determined to complete what they desire. There are also factors

which may affect the development of self-efficacy. Such factors are: success or failure at

completing a task that they may have performed in the past, reinforcement in the form of

messages, and witnessing the performance of peers on a similar task. While students are battling

their self-efficacy they may be accelerating at their self-regulation; the ability to direct behavior

and control impulses so certain standards, goals, and ideals are achieved. (Alley Dog) If students

are acquiring their self-regulation then they are able to: set goals for themselves, track the

progress of goals, remind themselves how to respond in distinct situations, and reward/punish

themselves for accomplishing or failing the goals they have set.

In closing the Social Learning Theory encompasses multiple aspects of a students life.

Students are observing modeling in everyday situations while dealing with the reinforcements

and punishments of their actions that they have adopted from observing the models in: everyday

life, school, and the media. The influence of models is determined by the genre that it is

classified under. The basis of the theory is true in the case that students develop the ability to

determine if they want to perform behaviors supported by different models. The behaviors

students perform then determine if the students self-efficacy or self-regulation is more

dominate. The social learning theory is like circle, it is never ending with students constantly

influencing one another with their behaviors.

 Works Cited

"Self Regulation." Definition. Alley Dog, n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2016.

Cherry, Kendra. "15 Great Albert Bandura Quotes." About.com Health. About Health, 15 Dec.

2014. Web. 08 Apr. 2016.

Cherry, Kendra. "How Does Observational Learning Work?" About.com Health. About Health,

24 Nov. 2014. Web. 08 Apr. 2016.

Cherry, Kendra. "What Were Albert Bandura's Contributions to the Field of Psychology?"

About.com Health. About Health, 06 Jan. 2106. Web. 08 Apr. 2016.

Heffner, Christopher L., Dr. "Chapter 4: Section 3: Reinforcement and Reinforcement

Schedules." AllPsych. All Psych Psych Central's Virtual Psychology Classroom, n.d.

Web. 08 Apr. 2016.

Prince, Kelly. "The Difference between Positive/Negative Reinforcement and Positive/Negative

Punishment - Behavior Analysts Tampa: ABA Therapy, Autism, Behavior Problems,

ADHD/Learning Disabilities." Behavior Analysts Tampa: ABA Therapy, Autism,

Behavior Problems, ADHD/Learning Disabilities. BCOTB Collaborative Analysis -

Individualized Care, 05 Feb. 2013. Web. 08 Apr. 2016.

"Self-efficacy." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Mar. 2016. Web. 08 Apr. 2016.