Pangasinan State University

Bayambang Campus

College of Teacher Education

Bayambang, Pangasinan

Name: Austria, Alyssa F.

Course and Section: BPED 1-1

Course Code and Title: Prof Ed 103 – Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education

Professor: Dr. Amela T. Cayabyab

Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory

Introduction

Social learning theory emphasizes on the importance of observing and modelling the behaviors, attitude,
and emotional reactions of others. It focuses on the learning that occurs within a social context.

Albert Bandura

• Born on December 4, 1925

• Canadian, American
• Studied at University of British Columbia and University of Iowa
• He was the youngest and only boy of six children
• Famous for research on Social Learning Theory

“..most learning is gained by people’s perception and thinking about what they experience. They learn
by copying the examples of others around them.” -Albert Bandura

Social Learning Theory

• Social learning theory considers how people learn from one another by observing, imitating, and
modeling.
• In social learning theory, people(observers) are trying to learn by imitation or modeling. Therefore,
the model or the third person can be a reinforcer.
General Principles of Social Learning Theory

• People can learn by observing the behavior of others and then imitating the behavior overtly.
• Learning can occur without a change in behavior.
• Cognition plays a role in learning.

Bandura’s Experiment on Modeling

“The Bobo Doll Study”

• This study showed observational learning and the impact it can have on violent behavior in children.
• Albert Bandura’s Bobo doll study showed that after viewing adults strike and kick a Bobo doll, children
would imitate the behavior in another environment. This was important, as it suggests that the
violence could be imitated by viewers.

Process of Learning through Modeling

1. Attention

- If you are going to learn anything, you have to pay attention.

2. Retention

- You must be able to retain or remember what you have paid attention to.

3. Reproduction

- You have to translate the descriptions into actual behaviors.

4. Motivation

- Learners must want to demonstrate what they have learned. (enact the modeled behavior).

Educational Implications of Social Learning Theory

• Students often learn a great deal simply by observing other people.

• To promote effective modeling, a teacher must make sure that the four essential conditions exist;
ATTENTION, RETENTION, REPRODUCTION, and MOTIVATION.
• Teachers and parents must model appropriate behaviors and take care that they do not model
inappropriate behaviors.