ALBERT BANDURA

• Born: December 4, 1925 in the small town of Mundare, Canada

• Attended University of British Columbia originally majoring in Biological Sciences however he stumbled upon the subject of psychology through happenstance. 

• Bandura decided to take “filler classes” during his free time every morning because he always arrives at school earlier than his classes.

• 1949-He graduated from University of British Columbia in 3 years, majoring in psychology.

• Bandura earned his PhD at the University of Iowa where he also finished his graduate school lessons.

OTHER SIGNIFICANT DATES 

• 1952-He was offered a position at Stanford University, where he continues to teach up until his later years.

• 1977-Social Learning Theory by Albert Bandura

• July 26, 2021-Bandura died from congestive heart failure in his sleep at his home in Stanford, California at the age of 95.

• Bandura is known for social learning theory, showing not all behavior was led by rewards or reinforcements, as behaviorisms claimed.

• He offered an alternative and somewhat more nuanced view of the social pressures that contribute to learned behaviors–a more modern approach which is still valued.

• Observational learning is a key aspect of social learning theory, where individuals learn and adopt behaviors by observing others. 

• This process often involves modeling after those who are similar, high-status, knowledgeable, rewarded, nurturing figures.

• Models are individuals who are observed. 

• Children are surrounded by a variety of role models in society, including their parents, peers, and characters on children’s shows.

1. Live Model: Observing an actual individual perform a behavior.

2. Verbal Instructional Model: Listening to detailed descriptions of behavior and then acting based on that description.

3. Symbolic Model: Learning through media, such as books, movies, television, or online media, where behaviors are demonstrated.

ATTENTIONAL PROCESSES 

1. Similarity to the Model

2. Identification to the Model

MOTIVATIONAL PROCESSES

1. Rewarded Behaviors 

2. Status of the Model

3. Reinforcement and Punishment

• This can be a form or live model (an actual person performing the behavior), or a symbolic model (behaviors portrayed in books, television, and film).

• Environmental reinforcement is one aspect of learning a behavior, but not the only one.

• Satisfaction, pride, and feelings of accomplishment are examples of what Bandura calls intrinsic or internal reinforcement. 

• Internal thoughts can play an important role in learning behavior.

• Behaviorists believe learning a behavior led to permanent change in an individual's behavior, but Bandura shows that in observational learning, they can learn new information without having to demonstrate this behavior. 

• Conversely, just because a behavior is observed does not mean it will be learned.

• Albert Bandura defined self-efficacy as "the belief in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to manage prospective situations.Put simply, it is a person’s belief in their ability to succeed in a particular situation. 

• This belief influences how people approach goals, tasks, and challenges. 

• It is a central element in Bandura's social cognitive theory, which emphasizes the role of observational learning, social experiences, and reciprocal determinism in shaping behavior.

• Motivation: People with high self-efficacy are more likely to take on difficult tasks, persist longer, and exert greater effort.

• Resilience: High self-efficacy fosters resilience, enabling individuals to recover from setbacks and continue striving toward goals.

• Performance: Belief in one’s abilities directly impacts performance and the likelihood of achieving desired outcomes.

• Bandura was able to successfully show that children learned social behavior–aggression, by watching the behavior of someone else. 

• With the Bobo doll experiment, Bandura was able to disprove a key notion of behaviorism that stated that all behavior is the result of rewards and reinforcement.

STRENGTH

• By highlighting the importance of imitation and observation and including cognitive mechanisms that enable learning without direct reward, Social Learning Theory (SLT) offers a thorough picture of learning. 

• Because of its adaptability, it can explain behavioral changes in a variety of circumstances, which makes it useful in disciplines like psychology and education. 

• Furthermore, Bandura's characterization of the mediational processes of motivation, attention, retention, and reproduction provides a better understanding of how people internalize and perform acquired actions.

WEAKNESS

• One of the main flaws in Social Learning Theory (SLT) is its propensity to undervalue personal agency and cognitive control over action, leaving important factors like subjective sentiments and ideas that affect judgment. 

• The idea oversimplifies the intricate relationship in nature and nurture by ignoring biological elements like genetics, which have a considerable influence on behavior. 

• Additionally, SLT has trouble explaining actions that take place in contexts where people cannot see certain behaviors being imitated or without obvious role models, which calls into question how comprehensive it is in accounting for all types of learning.

CRITICISMS

• Critics contend that by ignoring the internal cognitive processes affecting behavior interpretation and concentrating mostly on exterior observations, SLT offers an oversimplified perspective on learning.

• Concerns over the wider relevance of SLT's conclusions are further raised by the possibility that results from Bandura's experiments, like the Bobo doll research, may not translate well to actual circumstances because of their contrived environments.

• Finally, because SLT does not sufficiently address how people critically assess observed behaviors before deciding to replicate them, it may result in misunderstandings about the acquisition of harmful behaviors.