Albert Bandura’s Social

Cognitive Theory
by
Ghulam Aysha
Phd 2nd Semester
Seminar and Theories
 How We Learn From The Behavior Of Others

 Social cognitive theory views

people as active agents who can
both influence and are
influenced by their environment.
 The theory is an extension of
social learning that includes the
effects of cognitive processes —
such as conceptions, judgment,
and motivation — on an
individual’s behavior and on the
environment that influences
them.
Cont.
Rather than passively absorbing
knowledge from environmental
inputs, social cognitive theory
argues that people actively
influence their learning by
interpreting the outcomes of their
actions, which, in turn, affects their
environments and personal
factors, informing and altering
subsequent behavior (Schunk,
2012).
Albert Bandura (1989) introduced the most prominent
perspective on social cognitive theory.

• The central tenet of Bandura’s social-cognitive

theory is that people seek to develop a sense
of agency and exert control over the
important events in their lives.
• This sense of agency and control is affected by
factors such as self-efficacy, outcome
expectations, goals, and self-evaluation
(Schunk, 2012).
 Origins: The Bobo Doll Experiments

 Social cognitive theory can trace its origins to

Bandura and his colleagues, in particular, a
series of well-known studies on observational
learning known as the Bobo Doll experiments.
 In these experiments, researchers exposed young,
preschool-aged children to videos of an adult acting
violently toward a large, inflatable doll.
 This aggressive behavior included verbal insults and
physical violence, such as slapping and punching. At the
end of the video, the children either witnessed the
aggressor being rewarded, or punished or received no
consequences for his behavior (Schunk, 2012).
 After being exposed to this model, the children were
placed in a room where they were given the same
inflatable Bobo doll.
 The researchers found that those who had watched the
model either received positive reinforcement or no
consequences for attacking the doll were more likely to
show aggressive behavior toward the doll (Schunk, 2012).
Cont.
 This experiment was notable for being one that introduced
the concept of observational learning to humans.
 Bandura’s ideas about observational learning were in stark
contrast to those of previous behaviorists, such as B.F.
Skinner.
 According to Skinner (1950), learning can only be achieved
through individual action.
 However, Bandura claimed that people and animals can
also learn by watching and imitating the models they
encounter in their environment, enabling them to acquire
information more quickly.
Observational Learning
 Bandura agreed with the behaviorists that
behavior is learned through experience.
However, he proposed a different mechanism
than conditioning.
 He argued that we learn through observation
and imitation of others’ behavior.
 This theory focuses not only on the behavior
itself but also on the mental processes involved
in learning, so it is not a pure behaviorist theory.
Stages of the Social Learning Theory (SLT)

Not all observed behaviors are learned

effectively. There are several factors involving
both the model and the observer that
determine whether or not a behavior is learned.
These include attention, retention, motor
reproduction, and motivation (Bandura &
Walters, 1963).
Attention
The individual needs to pay attention to the
behavior and its consequences and form a mental
representation of the behavior. Some of the things
that influence attention involve characteristics of the
model.
Retention
Storing the observed behavior in LTM where it can
stay for a long period of time. Imitation is not always
immediate. This process is often mediated by
symbols. Symbols are “anything that stands for
something else” (Bandura, 1998).
Motor Reproduction
The individual must be able (have the ability and
skills) to physically reproduce the observed
behavior. This means that the behavior must be
within their capability. If it is not, they will not be
able to learn it (Bandura, 1998).
Motivation
The observer must be motivated to perform the
behavior. This motivation can come from a variety
of sources, such as a desire to achieve a goal or
avoid punishment.
Features Of Social Cognitive Theory

 The goal of social cognitive

theory is to explain how people
regulate their behavior through
control and reinforcement in
order to achieve goal-directed
behavior that can be
maintained over time.
 Bandura, in his original
formulation of the related
social learning theory, included
five constructs, adding self-
efficacy to his final social
cognitive theory (Bandura,
1986)
Reciprocal Determinism

 Reciprocal determinism is the central concept of social

cognitive theory and refers to the dynamic and reciprocal
interaction of people — individuals with a set of learned
experiences — the environment, external social context,
and behavior — the response to stimuli to achieve goals.
 Its main tenet is that people seek to develop a sense of
agency and exert control over the important events in
their lives.
 This sense of agency and control is affected by factors
such as self-efficacy, outcome expectations, goals, and
self-evaluation (Bandura, 1989).
Behavioral Capability

 Behavioral capability, meanwhile, refers to a

person’s ability to perform a behavior by means
of using their own knowledge and skills.
 That is to say, in order to carry out any behavior,
a person must know what to do and how to do
it. People learn from the consequences of their
behavior, further affecting the environment in
which they live (Bandura, 1989).
Reinforcements
 Reinforcements refer to the internal or external
responses to a person’s behavior that affect the
likelihood of continuing or discontinuing the behavior.
 These reinforcements can be self-initiated or in one’s
environment either positive or negative. Positive
reinforcements increase the likelihood of a behavior
being repeated, while negative reinforces decrease the
likelihood of a behavior being repeated.
 Reinforcements can also be either direct or indirect.
Direct reinforcements are an immediate consequence of
a behavior that affects its likelihood, such as getting a
paycheck for working (positive reinforcement).
Expectations

 Expectations, meanwhile, refer to the anticipated

consequences that a person has of their behavior.
 Outcome expectations, for example, could relate to
the consequences that someone foresees an action
having on their health.
 As people anticipate the consequences of their
actions before engaging in a behavior, these
expectations can influence whether or not someone
completes the behavior successfully (Bandura, 1989).
Self-Efficacy
 Self-efficacy refers to the level of a person’s confidence
in their ability to successfully perform a behavior.
 Self-efficacy is influenced by a person’s own
capabilities as well as other individual and
environmental factors.
 These factors are called barriers and facilitators
(Bandura, 1989). Self-efficacy is often said to be task-
specific, meaning that people can feel confident in
their ability to perform one task but not another.
 For example, a student may feel confident in their
ability to do well on an exam but not feel as confident
in their ability to make friends.
Modeling Media And Social Cognitive Theory

 Learning would be both laborious and hazardous in

a world that relied exclusively on direct experience.
 Social modeling provides a way for people to
observe the successes and failures of others with
little or no risk.
 This modeling can take place on a massive scale.
Modeling media is defined as “any type of mass
communication—television, movies, magazines,
music, etc.—that serves as a model for observing
and imitating behavior” (Bandura, 1998).
Cont.
 In other words, it is a means by which people can
learn new behaviors. Modeling media is often used in
the fashion and taste industries to influence the
behavior of consumers.
 This is because modeling provides a reference point
for observers to imitate. When done effectively,
modeling can prompt individuals to adopt certain
behaviors that they may not have otherwise engaged
in.
 Additionally, modeling media can provide
reinforcement for desired behaviors.
Social Learning Vs. Social Cognitive Theory
 Social learning theory and Social
Cognitive Theory are both theories of
learning that place an emphasis on
the role of observational learning.
 However, there are several key
differences between the two theories.
Social learning theory focuses on the
idea of reinforcement, while Social
Cognitive Theory emphasizes the role
of cognitive processes.
 Additionally, social learning theory
posits that all behavior is learned
through observation, while Social
Cognitive Theory allows for the
possibility of learning through other
means, such as direct experience.
Cont.
• Finally, social learning theory focuses on individualistic
learning, while Social Cognitive Theory takes a more
holistic view, acknowledging the importance of
environmental factors.
• Though they are similar in many ways, the differences
between social learning theory and Social Cognitive
Theory are important to understand. These theories
provide different frameworks for understanding how
learning takes place.
• As such, they have different implications in all facets of
their applications (Reed et al., 2010).