Exit Ticket #5 Oscar Newman

“In the social learning view, man is neither driven by inner forces, nor buffeted helplessly by
environmental influences. Rather, psychological functioning is best understood in terms of a
continuous reciprocal interaction between behavior and its controlling conditions” (Bandura).

As a researcher: What did you notice as you observed them play that supports Bandura’s
social learning theory?

As a player: What did you notice about the experience as you played this game (or other
games) that supports Bandura’s social learning theory?

As both a researcher and a player, I observed some things that supported Bandura's

social learning theory. First, players approach the game with a distinct playing style. I can

infer that this is not the first game experience that the players have had, and that they have

had the opportunity to develop different gaming styles that are informed by their personalities,

enjoyment of games, feelings about the group, emotional state, and so on. One can also

presume that over the course of many gaming experiences, these styles have been

reinforced in social situations. For example, when I was an observer, I noticed a very different

approach to “bending the rules” at one table compared to the other. One table was very

confrontational while the other was not. Since I assume that there were no other instructions

provided to the louder table, I conclude that the difference was because of different styles of

play and interpretation of the rules (calling other players on more tenuous connections versus

“letting it go” in the interests of more cooperation) of the small number of players.

There was “reciprocal interaction between behavior and its controlling conditions” in

terms of whether, for example, profanity was used. Given the familiarity among members of

the group, there were certainly different interpretations of propriety than, for example, if we

were playing the game with strangers. As a player, I assessed the degree to which I could

actively confront other players in order to win, but not undermine social relations based on my

thoughts of the consequences of how I could approach confrontation in the game. This did not

seem to be only an external process, i.e., one based on how I was rewarded for certain
behaviors, but one mediated by my thinking about the situation and comparing it to other

styles of play and gaming situations.

Some questions remain:

♦ How would the game be played differently with other combinations of players from

within our group?

♦ What if we were playing with strangers?

♦ To what degree did other players model their behavior on others or from past gaming

experiences?

♦ What if the game were modified so that there were different rewards for winning? (i.e.,

not just bragging rights)

♦ What is happening in the brains of players?