Running head: SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY 1

Social Learning Theory

Students Name

Institutional Affiliation

Course

Date
SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY 2

Social Learning Theory

Social learning theory argues that social behavior is learned from observing and imitating

other people's behavior. Albert Bandura, a psychologist, developed the social learning theory as

an alternative to the earlier work of B.F skinner, who is known for his influence on behaviorism.

Behavioral psychology emphasizes how reinforcement and environment impact behavior, while

Bandura argues that individuals can learn behavior through observation. In 1961 and 1963,

Albert Bandura conducted a series of experiments to identify whether social behavior, commonly

known as aggression, could be influenced by imitation and observation. The research involved

children who observed a model punch on the inflatable doll and showed that children could

emulate their behavior by watching others. These experiments were known as the bobo doll

experiments, and they explain the origin of the social learning theory developed in 1977. Later in

1986, the theory changed into the social cognitive theory suggesting that learning happens in a

social framework that is ever-changing and shared interaction between the environment, person,

and behavior.

However, several researchers identified minor difficulties with behaviorism before the

theory that allowed Bandura to build on the theory. For instance, Kohler suggested that apes

could build new solutions to problems by learning insight, showing that even animals were more

significant in learning than behaviorism allowed. In addition, Tolman and Honzik (1930) showed

that rats could learn without reinforcement and have internal cognitive maps of mazes they

operate. Nonetheless, they never utilize these maps until reinforcement motivates them,

indicating that a difference between learning and performance should be identified.

SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY 3

Also, Rotter (1954) indicated that personality could impact response to conditioning, indicating

that cognitive factors could impact learning (Bandura & Hall,2018). None of the above offered

enough evidence to decrease Behaviorism's influence. Combined with Bandura's interest in

mental representation, social modeling, and reciprocal determinism, they provided the basis for a

shift in the learning theory.

Gang involvement, affiliation, and membership activities have attracted media attention.

The media has created an image where the gangs live luxurious lives; thus, most youths admire

gang members, aspire to join gangs, and mimic them. The social learning theory suggests that

intergenerational gang membership is related to location and social structure. Also, the theory

explains the differential social organization and the learning of crime that are similar to those at

work in the learning of normative behavior process. Children learn behavior patterns from

socializing units of school, family, religious, peer, and other community institutions. This means

that all underlying socialization follows the same social learning processes, whether it produces

problem behavior or prosocial. Consequently, children are socialized through four different

constructs; the interaction and involvement degree, opportunities for involvement in activities

and interaction with others, reinforcement emerging from performance in interactions and

activities, and the emotional, social, and cognitive skills that are derived from social learning,

which are required to take part in all interactions.

In addition, a significant element in social learning theory is instrumental conditioning.

Behavior is either acquired or conditioned by the impacts, outcomes, or consequences on an

individual's environment.
SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY 4

The significant processes by which instrumental conditioning is accomplished are punishment

and reinforcement, where behavior is reinforced when there is a sequence of episodes met with a

response by other individuals, which eventually influences the actor to engage in any behavior.

Due to this, behavior increases, and it is punished when other people's responses are discouraged

from engaging in the conduct under similar circumstances. Also, the rewards description and

punishments are standard in gang membership where gangs reward particular behavior in their

peers and punish others using processes and goals. Normative meanings assigned to behavior

define whether an action is right or wrong.

Social learning theory explains the differential associations associated with gang

members. Peer influence is the leading indicator of differential associations, and it is concerned

with behavior patterns, disregarding an individual’s character. Another element of differential

associations is linked to the norm qualities defined by the perceived values of one’s parents and

significant others. Adults, peers, and parents offer social environments where exposure to the

imitation of behaviors and social reinforcement happens.

People commit crimes for various reasons. Some have mental problems, others are

excited to commit the crime, some do it to hide their psychological and deeper emotional

problems, and others do it to survive. For other people, they engage in crime because they were

exposed to criminal behavior since childhood. Social learning theory explains that a child who

grows up in the slums and is exposed to an environment that consists of thieves will think that

the way to live is to rob.

SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY 5

Unlike other criminology theories, social learning theory explains why people develop criminal

behavior at all social classes and not just those from low-income households. Also, the theory

explains crime in an attempt to describe all the factors that exist when criminal behavior happens

and which factors are absent when criminal behavior does not happen.

The theory is logical since the environment and how people survive in society impact

social learning theory. Also, the societal values that are encouraged can hinder criminal behavior

in an individual. For instance, in society, the lower class are considered the people who live in

lower economic. However, I believe that an individual's environment leads to criminal behavior

but the cultural beliefs that people are taught (Gagnon,2018). For example, people in the lower

classes are taught to survive in the streets; therefore, they have some defensive skills and are

fearless from any authority.

In addition, the social learning theory explains robbery in a more comprehensive manner.

In many societies, robbery is considered going against the norms. Theft can be in the form of

gangs, and the recruitment of the members majorly target young people. The theory explains that

people who live in low-income places are taught how to survive, resulting in them turning to

robbery to get some commodities such as food and money. Social isolation and economic

deprivation contribute to people engaging in socially deviant behavior. They form a separate

subculture with norms and rules opposite to the larger society's values and laws.

The logic behind social learning is that all individuals are blank slates, and they are

shaped and molded based on their social groups. Each individual is characterized with definitions

that they learn as they connect with others in their life, especially during young age.
SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY 6

Crime and violence are learned from the groups we interact with, family, and friends. The theory

insists that people are simply the sum of their personal learning experiences. Similarly,

definitions are very significant elements that people learn to commit a crime. It means that when

people learn criminal definitions more often than lawful definitions, they can begin to display

criminal behavior. This is linked to a double pan balance scale with criminal definitions and

lawful definitions on one side. When one type of definition is learned more often from the

individual's peer, they will show those behaviors.

Differential reinforcement in social learning theory explains the balance of actual

punishment and rewards that follow after a behavior. This means that whether people will refrain

from committing a crime depends on balancing their past, present, and future punishments and

rewards for their actions. The chances that an act will be repeated or committed increases by the

rewards offered and the value of the positive reinforcement. Similarly, the reinforces can be

nonsocial, for instance, direct physical impacts of alcohol and drugs. Nonetheless, whether or not

these impacts are positively or negatively experienced depends on learned expectations.

Also, social learning differentiates what people learn. What we learn is majorly on the

substance a person learns through social interactions instead of what people learn by techniques.

This explains the rewarding behaviors and definitions that allow people to commit crimes and

justify their acts through neutralization. Social learning theory suggests that people will learn

rewarding behavior, which is influenced by operant conditioning. When young people are

frequently shown by their peers that criminal behavior is linked with good things such as money

and has no association with negative things such as incarceration, they will join the criminal

activities.
SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY 7

Once they begin to enjoy the benefits, they will be conditioned to such behavior. Neutralizations

justify all the acts considered criminal, and they are learned before engaging in any criminal

activity. For instance, denial of responsibility permits the criminal to define themselves as

lacking responsibility for their deviant actions and self-disapproval.

Moreover, the theory explains other forms of violence, such as why men and women

become violent in relationships. For instance, the theory suggests that violence is a learned

behavior triggered by alcohol abuse, stress, and money. People learn behavior at a young age

from their parents, where guardians and parents significantly impact attitude, relationships, and

behavior. It means that individuals carry their learned behavior into adulthood. For instance, men

tend to be violent since they witnessed violence in their families. Children are observant and

learn how to commit violence and all the positive attitudes linked to violence when rewarded.

This means that children who have witnessed violence and have been abused have destructive

conflict resolution and communication patterns. In addition, Bandura's social learning theory

argues that both the victims and the observers are affected, with children from more violent

surroundings being more aggressive. The violent behavior develops into their personal

relationships as they get older, aligning with the concept that humans learn from observing the

environment and people around them. When children witness violent behavior in the home, they

grow knowing that that is acceptable (Akers et al.,2011). Violent relationships in the home teach

children that threats and violence get you what they want, and an individual has two choices the

victim and the aggressor.

SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY 8

Also, victims are to blame for violence; when people hurt others, they do not get in trouble. In

extreme cases, women are weak, stupid, helpless, incompetent, and violent, where anger causes

violence and drinking causes violence.

Additionally, African American youths who live in areas characterized by crime,

violence, and poverty have higher chances of being exposed to community violence as victims

and witnesses. From a social learning theory perspective, the family environment exposes

children to behaviors and attitudes related to developing other relationships. Normative

behaviors and attitudes development carried into intimate adult connections can happen through

imitation and internalization that guide behavior. Social learning theory argues that people

exposed to family violence in childhood have higher chances of endorsing violent behavior

(Akers et al.,2019). Another delinquency problem is chronic offenders where the youths are

engaged in multiple criminal acts, and the African American males are likely to be persistent

offenders.

Nonetheless, the main weakness of the theory in explaining crime and violence is that it

depends on subjective opinions and considers them as either right or wrong when in fact the what

may be wrong for one is suitable for another. Also, the theory emphasizes the impacts of social

learning on the child but not on the processes of receiving the information. The theory does not

address why people who have never learned criminal behaviors from their peers still engage in

criminal behaviors.

The family is a significant microsystem within a child's life since this is where children

first learn behaviors and attitudes. This means that the relationships are essential during

adolescence and can be a determinant of their behavior.

SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY 9

Adolescence is a high-risk developmental stage characterized by violence, offending, and

violence exposure; it is a period that can create an opportunity for violent behavior. Most people

at this stage are more likely to be victims of poly -victimization, which causes problems such as

cognitive, physical, and psychological issues. Adolescents’ decision to be part of crime can be

explained by moral disengagement, which can reduce the impacts of one’s adverse conduct.

Social learning theory argues that adolescents learn behaviors by observing,

experiencing, and interacting with different individuals in their environment. The focus is on

parents since they are the significant socializing agents for adolescents and are the

disciplinarians. Through discipline and rewards, parents teach adolescents what behaviors are

acceptable and which are wrong. This molds the adolescents who experience frequent parental

discipline whenever they engage in acceptable social behaviors since they develop the ability to

predict future consequences. In contrast, adolescents that rarely face disciplinary actions engage

in transgressive behavior. The theory explains that adolescent behavior is impacted by abstract

modeling of conduct that adolescents consume from observing behavior and their respective

consequences in the environment. This means that they are observant in which behavior results

in punishment and reinforcement. They then use the observations as their information sources to

aid them in abstracting rules and coming up with other personal goals and standards of conduct.

Later on, they generalize these rules to align with other rules in their lives that dictate their

behaviors.
SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY 10

Parents play a role in establishing and enforcing norms in the family which means that

adolescents' standards of conduct may be impacted by their interactions and behaviors with their

parents. Concerning discipline, adolescents are responsible for their actions and may learn

different impacts if they misbehave. For instance, if adolescents are subjected to high external

standards of conduct, they consume that and exhibit high personal standards of conduct. This

leads to them being individuals that obey and respect the rules as a matter of principle rather than

parental limits that dictate how they should behave. However, when discipline is not consistently

applied, adolescents may think that external standards of conduct are illogical thus develop more

acceptable behavior towards a range of antisocial norms. It means that parents who do not use

rules consistently may deliver the messages to adolescents that rules are not essential and lack

any future impacts (Pratt et al.,2010). Therefore, adolescents may align with what they think

their parents will accept, and these standards serve as guidelines for their future actions.

Race and ethnic groups have strong foundations in every society. Having different

ethnicities and races is not an issue, but ranking the different races and putting others at

disadvantages results in issues of prejudice and discrimination. Social learning theory suggests

that the same way a child can learn aggression from observation, they can also learn prejudice. In

any country that is increasingly becoming diverse, it is crucial to take the necessary actions. For

example, a child may learn prejudice and discrimination based on race and ethnicity from

reading magazines and books and watching television. Similarly, children's thoughts and

emotions are extensively influenced by the people around them; therefore, they may observe that

some individuals are not associating with members of certain races and groups, and members of

certain groups rarely occupy essential positions in the community and school (Orcutt et al.,2012).

When such instances of exclusion are not addressed, children develop knowing that this is the
SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY 11

way things are supposed to be and that individuals who have been discriminated against deserve

this treatment because they are inferior.

Social learning theory entails adapting to someone else's behavior, which means that a

child can adopt good behavior from a model. For instance, the theory explains the interactions

between environments and individuals in different contexts, such as education. Similarly, the

social learning theory proposes different perspectives that explain the challenges African

American women face concerning education. This perspective shows different behaviors of

peers and tutors who interact with women of color and have specific prejudice. Also, the theory

explains African American students' behaviors who can expect bias and behave accordingly.

Social learning theory argues that all people involved in interaction and communication in a

specific setting prefer behavioral patterns based on their previous social learning. Their

behaviors and vision can impact each other.

The primary principle and assumptions of social learning theory effectively explain

African American experiences in higher educational institutions. Black women should learn how

to connect with representatives of different cultures. They also need to align with new social

models, especially in a social setting with diverse ethnic and racial groups. If African American

women adapt to a new environment in which the dominating race is white males, they will

experience fewer challenges. Furthermore, black women's beliefs, visions, and values can shift

depending on the setting they connect.

References
SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY 12

Akers, R. L., & Jennings, W. G. (2019). The social learning theory of crime and deviance.

In Handbook on crime and deviance (pp. 113-129). Springer, Cham.

Akers, R. L., & Jensen, G. F. (Eds.). (2011). Social learning theory and the explanation of

crime (Vol. 1). Transaction Publishers.

Bandura, A., & Hall, P. (2018). Albert bandura and social learning theory. Learning Theories

For Early Years Practice, 63.

Gagnon, A. (2018). Extending social learning theory to explain victimization among gang and

ex-gang offenders. International journal of offender therapy and comparative

criminology, 62(13), 4124-4141.

Orcutt, J. D., & Schwabe, A. M. (2012). Gender, race/ethnicity, and deviant drinking: A

longitudinal application of social structure and social learning theory. Sociological

Spectrum, 32(1), 20-36.

Pratt, T. C., Cullen, F. T., Sellers, C. S., Thomas Winfree Jr, L., Madensen, T. D., Daigle, L.

E., ... & Gau, J. M. (2010). The empirical status of social learning theory: A meta‐

analysis. Justice Quarterly, 27(6), 765-802.