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 Banduras
(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 (Rotters

content of personality)
e.g., Assumes that actual reinforcement is necessary
for learning to occur
e.g., Rejects free will

Banduras Triadic Model of

Reciprocal Determinism
Overt
Behavior

Environmental
Influences

Personal Factors
(beliefs, expectations,
self-perceptions)

Beyond Reinforcement 1
External reinforcement isnt 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 were never engaged in
Our cognitive abilities give us the capability for
insight and foresight

Beyond Reinforcement 2
Banduras 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

Bandura et al., 1963

Subjects
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 aggressive
2. 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 measures
1. Total aggression
2. Imitative
aggression
3. Partially imitative
responses
Mallet aggression
Sitting on the Bobo
doll

4. Nonimitative
aggression

Aggressive gun
play

Bandura et al. Results 1:

Total Aggression

Female

Male

Real life model

Girls

Boys

Female

Male

Film model

Cartoon No Model
Model
Control

Bandura et al. Results 2:

Imitative Aggression
Girls

Female
Male
Real life model

Boys

Female
Male
Film model

Cartoon

Control

Bandura et al. Results 3:

Partially Imitative
Responses
Mallet Aggression
Sits On Bobo Doll

Real life

M
Film

Cat

Cntrl

Real life

F
Film

Cat

Cntrl

140

Real life mode

Female
Real life model
Male

120

Film model
Female

100

Film model
Male

80

Cartoon

60

Control

40

20

Total
Aggression

Imitative
Aggression

Mallet
Aggression

Boys

Girls

Boys

Girls

Boys

Girls

Boys

Girls

Sit on
Bobo Doll

Implications:
Eron & Heusmann, 1985
50

Males

Females

40
30
20
10
0

Low

Med

High

Low

Med

Frequency of TV Viewing at Age 8

DV: Seriousness of Criminal Act by Age 30

High

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. Intentional Processes
(attend to and accurately
perceive models behavior)

2. Retention Processes
(remember the
models behavior)

Basic Processes of
Observational Learning 2
3. Motor Reproduction Processes
(translate symbolically coded
memories of the models 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 models aggressive behavior in the
presence of the model

Bandura, Ross, & Ross, 1961

Children imitate a models aggressive behavior in a new
setting, away from the model

Bandura, Ross, & Ross, 1963

Will children imitate a film-models aggressive behavior?

Performing the Right Behavior at the Right Time:

Self-Regulation
We learn all kinds
of behaviors by
observing others

Why dont we all

just run around

imitating every
behavior we see?

Recall the Triadic Model of

Reciprocal Determinism
Overt
Behavior

Environmental
Influences

Personal Factors
(beliefs, expectations,
self-perceptions)

Self-Regulation
An important personal
factor is the ability to
self-regulate
Some people are
pretty good at this,
some people arent so
good
Self-regulation is
probably domainspecific (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

THANK YOU