Lecture 8

Introduction to Gender Studies

Course Instructor:
Dr. Bushra Yasmeen
Section 2. Cont….

Learning Process:

• Social Learning Theory

Social Learning Theory
Social learning theory suggests that social behavior is
learned by observing and imitating the behavior of
others.

Albert Bandura (1901–1994) was a psychologist who

developed social learning theory. He studied children
in order to understand how they learn from others. His
studies showed that children imitate each other
because they observe the actions of others and copy
them. This process is called observational learning.
Social Learning Theory, explains that people learn
through observing, imitating, and modeling others’
behavior.

This theory posits that we can acquire new

behaviors and knowledge by watching others, a
process known as vicarious (experienced or realized
through imaginative or sympathetic participation in
the experience of another) learning.
Bandura emphasized the importance of cognitive
processes in learning, which set his theory apart
from traditional behaviorism.

He proposed that individuals have beliefs and

expectations that influence their actions and can
think about the links between their behavior and its
consequences.
Social learning theory helps us understand how our
environment and the people around us shape our
behavior.

It also explain how individuals develop new skills

and behaviors by paying attention to the behavior
of others and then trying to reproduce that
behavior themselves.
The Social Learning Theory proposes that individuals
learn through observation, imitation, and reinforcement.
According to the theory, there are four stages of social
learning:

1. Attention: In this stage, individuals must first pay

attention to the behavior they are observing. This
requires focus and concentration on the model’s
behavior.

2. Retention: In this stage, individuals must remember

the behavior they observed. This involves cognitive
processing and memory storage.
3. Reproduction: In this stage, individuals attempt
to reproduce the behavior they observe. This may
involve practicing and refining the behavior until it
can be performed accurately.

4. Motivation: In this stage, individuals must have a

reason or motivation to perform the behavior. This
may involve reinforcement, punishment, social
approval, disapproval, or other incentives.
Social Learning Theory is important as it can
empower people to recognize and trace the roots of
their issues, identify patterns they may have not
otherwise seen, and ultimately, break the habits
and behaviors that harm them.