Albert Bandura: Social a Learning Theory

Define observational learning

• the process of learning new behaviors, attitudes, or emotional reactions by watching social models (others)

What is imitation vs modeling?

• Imitation is imitating a behavior

• modeling is the person who is giving the behavior

What increases modeling?

• we copy people that are similar to us

• Having low self-confidence and low self-esteem

• If there are rewards/consequences associated with behavior (ex: praise for something)

Process of Observational Learning: Attentional Processes

• individual must be paying attention/ focused on the model.

Process of Observational Learning: Retention Process

• The individual must be able to remember the behavior that was observed

Process of Observational Learning: Production Processes

• the individual must be able to physically produce/replicate the behavior that they observed

Process of Observational Learning: Incentive and Motivational Processes

• the individual must have a reason to imitate the behavior

Extrinsic Reinforcement

• increasing a behavior by providing concrete external rewards. (ex: money, praise, prizes)

• overjustification: being over rewarding and stop doing activity out of joy for it.

Intrinsic Reinforcement

• The internal joy and satisfaction we get from doing something

Vicarious Reinforcement

• in increasing a behavior after observing a another person being rewarded for the same action.

Major research contributions include

• Media and violence: higher exposure to media is linked to higher aggressive behaviors. (due to aggressive models in media)

• Gender roles: Masculinity linked to agency and Feminine linked to communion

Albert Bandura’s Contributions

• Empirical support

• Useful in therapy

• Researchable

• Can be applied to real world problems

Albert Bandura’s Criticisms

• external behavior focused and ignores internal