Contents

1. Social Learning theory

2. Examples Social learning theory

3. Principles of social learning theory

4. Social learning theory history

5. Applications of social learning theory

6. Social learning methods

7. Social learning theory advantages

8. Disadvantages of social learning theory

9. Personality Theory measurement and social learning theory

10. Personality development and social learning theory

11. Critism
 Social Learning Theory:

Social learning theory is a theory of learning process and social behaviour which

proposes that new behaviours can be acquired by observing and imitating others.

Albert Bandura, a psychologist,firstly proposed that observation and modelling plays a

primary role in the learning process.

While behavioural psychology focuses on the environment and reinforcement influence on

behaviour, Bandura argued that people might learn behaviour by watching others.

Examples:

From anxiety and fears to politeness or generosity, honesty and hard effort, a person might

learn any variety of behaviours by witnessing them in others. In education, social learning

theory can be utilised to assist pupils recall crucial lessons. It's also a good idea to have the

children repeat key phrases or watch a performance to help them remember what they've

learned. Someone who desires to pursue a job that he or she has seen done by a figure on

TV is another example.

Another purposeful example of social learning theory could be when a corporation

recognises an employee who goes above and beyond to ensure the success of a project.

Other employees boost their production as a result of the acknowledgment they receive,

whether consciously or subconsciously.

Principles:

Social learning theory has four principles..

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Attention: Before we can imitate a behaviour, it must catch our attention. Given the large

number of actions we watch but do not mimic on a daily basis, it is clear that attention is

critical in determining whether a behaviour promotes imitation.

Retention: If we don't recall the behaviour, we won't be able to perform it. So, while a

behaviour may be observed, the observer will not repeat it unless a memory is developed.

Because social learning takes time, it's important to remember what you've learned.

Reproduction: This is the ability to imitate a behaviour that we see. It has an impact on our

decision regarding whether or not to try out the habit. Even when we want to replicate a

witnessed activity, our physical abilities limit us.

Motivation: Vicarious reinforcement is the term for this type of mediation. It entails learning

via seeing the effects of one's actions on others rather than through direct experience.

The social learning theory modelling process, which decides whether or not the influence is

successful, is based on these ideas. Social learning theory's behavioural models can be

exhibited live, verbally, or symbolically.

History:

Bandura studied human behaviour as a psychologist. His Bobo Doll study is his most well-

known work. In these studies, Bandura had youngsters observe adults modelling good and

negative actions toward a clown-shaped toy balloon. In several situations, the adults were

hostile and physically assaulted the doll. The children were handed hammers and allowed to

engage with the doll after watching the movie. The majority of children who watched hostile

conduct against the doll also acted violently toward it, but the majority of children who

witnessed good, non-aggressive behaviour acted less aggressively. Bandura came to the

conclusion that the children learnt their social habits from seeing them.

Applications:

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This theory can be applied in various other fields other than psychology.

Education and Teaching programs

Criminology

Career Selection

Social Work

Health

Personality

Behavioural Therapy

Social Learning Methods:

Leaning Groups

Brainstorming sessions

Benchmarking

Social Media

Sharing internet resources

Exchange

Interactive learning platforms

Advantages:

Learning in a Natural Way: The most significant benefit of social learning is that it is

something that everyone does on a daily basis, both consciously and unconsciously. It is not

necessary to plan ahead of time or set up time for it because it occurs naturally throughout

time.

Better Skills: This theory helps improve the skills of individuals as they learn from their

environment and contribute to it.

Higher Learning Retention: It has been scientifically proven that one only remembers 10%

of what they learn from formal sources, with the remaining 90% coming from informal and

social learning. Individuals can recall more when they learn something directly from a person

because they remember factors like voice pitch, visuals, recollections, or even a joke that

they correlate with the subject.

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Lower costs: A public discussion costs less than a pre planned seminar or training

program.

Productivity and sustainability: Social learning can help in the increase of productivity and

sustainability of an individual. When a person learns from his environment he argues his own

knowledge is limited and thus finds new sources to learn more about the certain aspect.

Problem Solving in Real Time: Many people seek out learning chances when they are in

desperate need. The desire to address an issue that they cannot solve alone necessitates

collaboration. In most cases, the first thing humans do in this scenario is to seek out the

opinions of others. This is a lot faster than looking for answers on the internet.

Disadvantages:

Internal strife: Through social learning theory, one is learning to behave more like someone

else because social learning is founded on the idea of copying what is viewed as effective

and positive behaviour in others. If this approach is applied too frequently and aggressively,

it might lead to internal conflict given the new behaviours are in opposition to one's own

beliefs. In the long run, this results in active internal resistance, which obstructs the learning

process.

Less authenticity: Social learning does not always impact a person's personality, contrary

to what behavioural scientists have predicted. In most circumstances, adopting a new

behaviour as one's own or losing one's connection to one's personality would need long-

term, repetitive copying. Furthermore, when something doesn't feel right, people are

generally the first to notice.

Innovation is being lost: Personal thought processes, beliefs, and viewpoints are

frequently overlooked in favour of behaviour that is most likely to succeed. This learning

strategy, however, should not be employed excessively because new and uncommon ideas

tend to produce growth and innovation.

Unexpected difficulties: Few people are fully aware of their own limitations, skills, and

faults. Because unexpected impediments can develop, it is often impossible to emulate

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another's behaviour. This might lead to a feeling of dissatisfaction, which can then lead to

resignation.

Consequences for self-esteem: The majority of people are unable to distinguish between

observation, imitation, and a comparison to oneself. When people compare themselves to

others, they normally look at observable indications such as performance and outcomes. In

most circumstances, this results in frustration and disappointment. As a result, it's important

to make a clear distinction between social learning and personal comparison, as well as to

integrate positive reinforcement.

Social Learning theory and personality measurement:

Personality theory and measurement are also discussed in social learning theory.

Psychoanalytic, trait, humanistic, and social-cognitive theories are among the four primary

personality theories. Social learning theory is part of the social-cognitive umbrella, and it

incorporates a person's expectations about the world and the people with whom he or she

interacts, as well as monitoring and judging others' actions and the surroundings. Social

learning theory is inextricably linked to social psychology, which is concerned with the

personality traits and actions of individuals within a civilization or society. Understanding a

person's self-concept, as well as their social cognition, attribution theory, social influence,

group traditions, prejudice, discrimination, interpersonal interactions, attitudes, and violence,

is at the heart of social learning theory.

Personality development and social learning theory:

Personality development is the formation of a collection of patterns affecting a person's

conduct, temperament, and character on a consistent basis. According to social learning

theory, a substantial part of a person's personality can be derived from observing others in

their family or culture. People's temperaments can be influenced by both their heredity and

their surroundings. This encompasses their attitude toward and perception of the world, as

well as how they interact with others. If a person spends a lot of time with people who have a

bad attitude, he or she is more likely to adopt such traits.

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Criticism:

One of the most common criticisms of social learning theory is that its central idea is that,

through the mechanism of incentives and punishments, increasing affiliations with deviant

peers increases the possibility that an individual will adopt attitudes and values favourable to

criminal behaviour. The focus of the criticism is on the temporal ordering of deviant attitudes

and behaviours, as well as their association with other deviant peers.