social learning theory

Examples of social learning theory in the following topics:

• Bandura and Observational Learning

  • Observational learning, also referred to as modeling or social learning, occurs by observing, retaining, and replicating behavior seen in others.
  • Stemming from Albert Bandura's social learning theory, observational learning allows for learning without any direct change to behavior; because of this, it has been used as an argument against strict behaviorism, which argues that behavior must occur for learning to have taken place.
  • According to Bandura's social learning theory, four conditions, or steps, must be met in order for observational or social learning to occur:
  • Bandura hoped that the experiment would prove that aggression can be explained, at least in part, by social learning theory.
  • The theory of social learning states that behavior such as aggression is learned through observing and imitating others.

• Bandura's and Rotter's Social-Cognitive Theories of Personality

  • Social cognition is basically social thought, or how the mind processes social information; social-cognitive theory describes how individuals think and react in social situations.
  • Albert Bandura is a behavioral psychologist credited with creating social learning theory.
  • Skinner's theory that personality develops through learning; however, he disagreed with Skinner’s strict behaviorist approach to personality development.
  • Julian Rotter is a clinical psychologist who was influenced by Bandura's social learning theory after rejecting a strict behaviorist approach.
  • Evidence has supported the theory that locus of control is learned and can be modified.

• Criticisms of the Social-Cognitive Pespective on Personality

  • Critics of the social-cognitive theory of personality argue that it is not a unified theory and does not explain development over time.
  • The social-cognitive theory of personality emphasizes both learning and cognition as sources of individual differences in personality.
  • One of the main criticisms of the social-cognitive theory is that it is not a unified theory.
  • Another limitation is that not all social learning can be directly observed.
  • Critics of social-cognitive theory argue that the theory does not provide a full explanation of how social cognition, behavior, environment, and personality are related (known as "reciprocal determinism").

• Human Language Development

  • Humans, especially children, have an amazing capability to learn language, and several theories exist to explain language development.
  • Jean Piaget's theory of language development suggests that children use both assimilation and accommodation to learn language.
  • Lev Vygotsky's theory of language development focused on social learning and the zone of proximal development (ZPD).
  • The ZPD is a level of development obtained when children engage in social interactions with others; it is the distance between a child's potential to learn and the actual learning that takes place.
  • Vygotsky's theory also demonstrated that Piaget underestimated the importance of social interactions in the development of language.

• Educational Psychology

  • Educational psychology is the study of how humans learn in educational settings.
  • Educational psychology is the study of how humans learn within an educational setting.
  • It examines the effectiveness of various educational interventions, the psychology of teaching, and the social aspect of schools.
  • Some of the more common theories used in educational and school psychology are Jean Piaget's theory of development and Lawrence Kohlberg's stage theory of moral development.
  • Each looks at how children progress through learning stages as they age.

• Applications of Psychological Theories to the Life of a Student

  • Educational psychology is the study of how humans learn in educational settings, the effectiveness of educational interventions, the psychology of teaching, and the social psychology of schools as organizations.
  • Understanding the various theories of learning as well as your personal learning style can help you better understand information and develop positive study habits.
  • Within the realm of psychology, there are several theories that help explain the ways in which people learn.
  • People also learn in a variety of ways.
  • Describe the major theories of learning in the field of education

• Social Perception

  • Social perception is a kind of perception that allows one to understand other people, social cues, and non-verbal cues in their environment.
  • Psychologist Leon Festinger proposed social comparison theory, which states that there is a drive within individuals to gain accurate self-evaluations.
  • According to this theory, individuals evaluate their own opinions and abilities by comparing themselves to others in order to reduce uncertainty and learn how to define one's self.
  • Theory of mind refers to an individual's system of assumptions used to attribute mental states to his or her self and others, as well as predict behavior.
  • Theory of mind also describes imagining another person's perspective to better understand their situation and behaviors.

• Drive-Reduction Theory of Motivation

  • Motivations are commonly separated into two types: drives are acts of motivation like thirst or hunger that have primarily biological purposes, while motives are fueled primarily by social and psychological mechanisms.
  • Secondary drives, on the other hand, are not usually necessary for survival and are often linked to social or identity factors (e.g., the desire for wealth).
  • According to Hull, drive reduction is a major aspect of learning.
  • Drives are thought to underlie all behavior in that behaviors are only conditioned, or learned, if the reinforcement satisfies a drive.
  • Clark Leonard Hull developed drive-reduction theory, one of the earliest theories of motivation.

• Socioemotional Development in Childhood

  • Childhood is a time of rapid emotional and social development, as children learn to regulate emotions and interact with others.
  • Social development is the way in which humans learn to interact with one another.
  • Research suggests that as babies, humans are biologically wired to coordinate their actions with others; this ability to sync with others facilitates cognitive and emotional learning through social interaction.
  • This is known as theory of mind.
  • False-belief tasks are useful in determining a child’s acquisition of theory of mind.

• The Psychology of Employee Satisfaction

  • Social-exchange and equity theory examines the impact of exchange on motivation.
  • A manager who uses social-exchange theory might try to emphasize that the company is more of a family than a workplace in order to achieve the first type of relationship.
  • McClelland's need theory proposes three main categories of learned human behavior called manifest needs.
  • The need for power takes two forms: socialized power, which benefits a group, and personalized power, which benefits the self.
  • Career-development programs can provide excitement and satisfaction at various stages by identifying employees' talents early on and providing opportunities for learning.