Social learning theory can have a number of real-world applications. For example, it can be used to help researchers understand how aggression and violence might be transmitted through observational learning
Social learning theory can be used
to encourage and teach desirable behaviours in the classroom through the use of positive reinforcement and rewards
. For example, a student who is praised for raising their hand to speak will more than likely repeat that behaviour.
Dressing like James Dean, copying dance moves from popular music videos and recreating famous action scenes
are all fitting examples of Social Learning Theory in everyday life. In most cases, this behavior is incentivized by the desire to become socially accepted, attractive or otherwise well-liked.
It is frequently used
to guide behavior change interventions
. It may be particularly useful in rural communities for examining how individuals interact with their surroundings. The SCT can be used to understand the influence of social determinants of health and a person's past experiences on behavior change.
A person who observes someone treating others poorly and being rewarded for it may follow suit. Social workers can use social learning
theory to identify the behavioral models a client may be emulating and use that information to help correct negative behavior
, such as underage drinking, drug use or unprotected sex.
What are examples of Social Learning Theory?
Social learning theory examples in everyday life are common, with one of the most evident being
the behaviors of children
, as they imitate family members, friends, famous figures and even television characters. If a child perceives there is a meaningful reward for such behavior, they will perform it at some point.
The Social Learning Theory combines or acts as a bridge between two types of learning theories. Behavioral learning believes that learning is based on how the individual responds to environmental stimuli.
Cognitive learning
, however, assumes that psychological factors determine to learn.
What are the 3 key concepts of Albert Bandura?
Social Learning Theory, theorized by Albert Bandura, posits that people learn
from one another, via observation, imitation, and modeling
. The theory has often been called a bridge between behaviorist and cognitive learning theories because it encompasses attention, memory, and motivation.
Some criticisms of social learning theory arise from their commitment to the environment as the chief influence on behavior. It is limiting to describe behavior solely in terms of either
nature or nurture
and attempts to do this underestimate the complexity of human behavior.
– Albert Bandura As the creator of the concept of social learning theory, Bandura proposes five essential steps in order for the learning to take place:
observation, attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation
.
- Increased engagement across disengaged learners.
- Students developing self organisation skills.
- Encouraged collaboration.
- Developing skills that can be used in the workforce.
Social learning is important because
life
(and work) is social. Social learning helps replicate the realities that learners are likely to face when they are required to make actual decisions and solve actual problems in the workplace.
One limitation of the social learning theory is that
it's criticised for being reductionist
, as it only accounts for environmental factors that are involved in learning behaviour, and neglects other factors that could be involved for example, biological factors, therefore the social learning theory may not be provide a …
For example,
a student might learn something because of their pride
, for a sense of satisfaction, or to fulfill a feeling of accomplishment. This factor of learning intrinsically connects Bandura's learning theory to those of other cognitive-developmental theories.
Social learning theory is grounded by several key assumptions :
People learn through observation
. Learners can acquire new behavior and knowledge by merely observing a model. Reinforcement and punishment have indirect effects on behavior and learning.
What is the main idea of social learning theory?
One can learn new behaviors by observing others
.
