TOPIC 4:

Social Learning Theory

Reflection
Using the polling tool: Select the best answer to this question:
How did you learn to cook?
A. from watching someone (Mom, Dad, Grandma?)
B. from watching Hell's Kitchen, Emeril, or Rachel Ray, or
__________ (input name here) on TV
C. I don't know how to cook
D. other

Reflection
Using the text tool, type your response on
the whiteboard:
Think about a product you (or someone you
know) have (has) recently purchased based
on a TV commercial. Write a quick thought
about what influenced you to buy the
product. Or if the purchase was made by
someone else - what to you think influenced
them to purchase the product?

Reflection
Answer True or False to the following questions:
I find I learn better if I repeat an exercise more than once.
When waiting at a cross-walk and no cars are coming I will
wait for someone else to step off the curb first (to see if they
get hit by a car or arrested) before following them.
Have you ever copied someone's behavior based on the
rewards that you observed this person receiving?

The social learning theory of Bandura focuses on

the learning that occurs within a social context.
It considers that people learn from one another,
including such concepts as observational
learning, imitation, and modeling (Abbott).

This learning theory emphasizes the importance

of observing and modeling the behaviors,
attitudes, and emotional reactions of others.
(tip.psychology)

General principles of social

learning follows:
1. People can learn by observing the behavior of others
and the outcomes of those behaviors (Abbott).
In his famous "Bobo doll" studies, Bandura
demonstrated that children learn and imitate
behaviors they have observed in other people.
The children in Bandura's studies observed an
adult acting violently towards a Bobo doll.
When the children were later allowed to play in
a room with the doll, they began to imitate the
aggressive actions they had previously
observed (Van Wagner).
http://www.criminology.
fsu.edu/crimtheory/band
ura.htm

2. Learning can occur without a change in behavior.

Behaviorists say that learning has to be represented by a
permanent change in behavior, in contrast social learning
theorists say that because people can learn through
observation alone, their learning may not necessarily be
shown in their performance. Learning may or may not result
in a behavior change (Abbott).

3. Cognition plays a role in learning. Over the last 30 years social

learning theory has become increasingly cognitive in its
interpretation of human learning. Awareness and expectations of
future reinforcements or punishments can have a major effect on
the behaviors that people exhibit (Abbott).

http://www.wellsphere.com/viewGroupPhoto.s?showclean=true&id=18872

4. Social learning theory can be considered a bridge or a transition

between behaviorist learning theories and cognitive learning theories
(Abbott).

http://media.photobucket.com/image/bridge/britgal
usa/bridgecol1.jpg?o=29

The Component Processes

Underlying Observational Learning
are:
1. Attention - In order to learn, you need to be paying
attention.
2. Retention - The ability to store information is an important
part of the learning process.
3. Motor Reproduction - Once you have paid attention to the
model and retained the information, it is time to actually
perform the behavior you observed.
4. Motivation -In order for for observational learning to be
successful, you have to be motivated to imitate the behavior
that has been modeled (Van Wagner).

Cognitive Factors in Social

Learning
Social learning theory has cognitive
factors as well as behaviorist factors
(actually operant factors).
1. Learning without performance:
Bandura makes a distinction between
learning through observation and the
actual imitation of what has been
learned.
2. Cognitive processing during learning:
Social learning theorists contend that
attention is a critical factor in learning
(Abbott).

http://media.photobucket.com
/image/brain/ShaenTheBrain/B
lueBrain-1.jpg?o=57

3. Expectations: As a result of being reinforced, people form

expectations about the consequences that future behaviors
are likely to bring. They expect certain behaviors to bring
reinforcements and others to bring punishment. The learner
needs to be aware however, of the response reinforcements
and response punishment. Reinforcement increases a
response only when the learner is aware of that connection.
4. Reciprocal causation: Bandura proposed that behavior can
influence both the environment and the person. In fact each
of these three variables, the person, the behavior, and the
environment can have an influence on each other.
5. Modeling: There are different types of models. There is
the live model, a verbal instructional model and the symbolic
model. (Abbott).

Bandura identified the characteristics of the following

models of observational learning:
1.A live model involves an actual demonstration or
acting out a behavior.
2. A verbal instructional model involves descriptions
and explanations of behavior.
3.A symbolic model, which real of fictional characters
displaying behaviors in books, films, television
programs or online media (Van Wagner).

How the environment reinforces and

punishes modeling:

People are often reinforced for modeling the behavior

of others. Bandura suggested that the environment
also reinforces modeling. This is in several possible
ways:
1.The observer is reinforced by the model. For
example a student who changes dress to fit in with a
certain group of students has a strong likelihood of
being accepted and thus reinforced by that group
(Abbott).

2. The observer is reinforced by a third person. The

observer might be modeling the actions of someone
else, for example, an outstanding class leader or
student. The teacher notices this and compliments and
praises the observer for modeling such behavior thus
reinforcing that behavior.
3. The imitated behavior itself leads to reinforcing
consequences. Many behaviors that we learn from
others produce satisfying or reinforcing results.
4. Consequences of the models behavior affect the
observers behavior vicariously. This is known as
vicarious reinforcement. This is where in the model is
reinforced for a response and then the observer

A guy named Al playing a bandura

used with permission from

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ghirigoribaumann

A guy named Al(bert) Bandura

from
http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/bandura.html

Who is Albert Bandura?

http://www.xtimeline.com/timeline/Albert-Bandura

Activity
http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/Origami%20Tulip.pdf
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3XQMGdFG7k

Social Learning Theory & Technology

Example 1:

Social Learning Theory & Technology

Example 2:

Courtesy of CDE - UAF

http://distance.uaf.edu/cc/CE603/homework/03/H03.2.html

Social Learning Theory & Technology

Example 3:
Second Life
Presentation

Social Learning Theory & Technology

Example 3:
Second Life
Student
Gathering

Social Learning Theory & Technology

Example 3:
Second Life
Australia Day
Celebrations

http://www.flickr.com/photos/garyhayes/2219768941/

Social Learning Theory & Technology

Social Learning Today:
"The social learning theory explains human behavior in terms of
a continuous reciprocal interaction between cognitive,
behavioral and environmental determinants."
Tu, C.-H. (1999)

Sacha Chua: "A Teacher's guide to Web 2.0 at school

[illustrated]"
http://sachachua.com/wp/2009/09/01/a-teachers-guide-to-web2-0-at-school-illustrated/

References
Abbott, Lynda (nd). Social Learning Theory. The University of Texas at Austin, The College of Education, Retrieved September 13,
2009 from http://teachnet.edb.utexas.edu/~lynda_abbott/Social.html
Boeree, Dr. C. George (2006). Albert Bandura, 1925-present. Shippenburg University. Retrieved September 13, 2009 from
http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/bandura.html
Chih-Hsiung Tu (2000). On-line learning migration: from social learning theory to social presence theory in a CMC environment
[Electronic version]. Journal of Network and Computer Applications, Vol 23, Issue 1, Jan 2000, pp 27-37
doccochs. (February 6, 2008). Theory Master Theater Bandura Social Learning. Retrieved September 20, 2009, from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byhLPxT_FJQ
Hill, Janette R., Song, Liyan and West, Richard E. (2009). Social Learning Theory and Web-Based Learning Environments: A
Review of Research and Discussion of Implications. American Journal of Distance Education, 23:2, pp 88-103.
Moore, Amanda (May 1999). Albert Bandura. Muskinghum College, Department of Psychology. Retrieved September 13, 2009,
from http://www.muskingum.edu/~psych/psycweb/history/bandura.htm
no author (nd). Chapter 31 Social Learning Theory of Albert Bandura. McGraw Hill Higher Education. Retrieved September 13,
2009 from http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/comm/bandur-s.mhtml
no author (2009). Social Cognitive Theory goes Global [Electronic version]. The Psychologist, June 2009, Vol 22, No. 6. Retrieved
September 16 2009 from http://issuu.com/thepsychologist/docs/0609
no author (nd). Social Learning Theory (A. Bandura). Retrieved September 17, 2009 from http://tip.psychology.org/bandura.html
Pajares, F. (2004). Albert Bandura: Biographical sketch. Emory University, Division of Educational Studies. Retrieved September
20, 2009, from http://des.emory.edu/mfp/bandurabio.html
Patsula, Peter J. (1999). Applying Learning Theories to Online Instructional Design. Sookmyung Womens University, Seoul.
Retrieved September 13, 2009 from http://patsula.com/usefo/webbasedlearning/tutorial1/learning_theories_full_version.html
Smith, Michele, and Zane L. Berge (2009). Social Learning Theory in Second Life. [Electronic Version]. MERLOT Journal of Online
Learning and Teaching, Vol. 5, No. 2, June 2009. Retrieved September 13, 2009, from
http://jolt.merlot.org/vol5no2/berge_0609.htm
Svinicki, Marila (nd). Inclass activity on Social Learning Theory. The University of Texas at Austin. Retrieved September 13, 2009
from http://www.utexas.edu/courses/svinicki/ald320/March22.html
Van Wagner, Kendra (nd). An Overview of Bandura's Social Learning Theory. Psychology.About.com. Retrieved September 17,
2009 from http://psychology.about.com/od/developmentalpsychology/a/sociallearning.htm