Bandura

Albert Bandura
Social learning theory

Albert Bandura
• Biographical Background
• Was born in in Alberta, Canada in 1925; youngest
child, and only son, in a family of six
• He received his bachelors degree in Psychology
from the University of British Columbia in 1949
• He went on to the University of Iowa, where he
received his Ph.D. in 1952
• It was there that he came under the influence of the
behaviorist tradition and learning theory
Albert Bandura
Biographical Background
During grad school, he would occasionally play golf with
friends
Met wife in sand trap; Virginia Varns, who was a teacher at the
College of Nursing
Married in 1952 and have two daughters
Albert Bandura
• Biographical Background
• In 1953, he started teaching at Stanford University
• While there, he collaborated with his first graduate student,
Richard Walters, resulting in their first book, Adolescent
Aggression, in 1959
• Bandura was president of the APA in 1973, and received the
APA’s Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions in
1980
• In 2006, he received the Gold Medal Award for Life
Achievement in the Science of Psychology
• He continues to work at Stanford to this day
Social Cognitive Theory
Bandura does not consider himself a Social Learning

Theorist, but prefers Social Cognitive Theory
Comprehensive theory that includes motivational and self
regulatory mechanisms
Emphasizes the social origins of human thought process
and behavior
Emphasizes cognitive influence on behavior, rather than
conditioning influences from the environment
An agentic perspective
Bandura (2001)
Views people as agents (originators) of experience; not
just reactive
Human agency
• Intentionality
• Enables us to behave with purpose
• Forethought
• Allows us to anticipate outcomes
• Self-reactiveness
• We can be motivated to regulate our actions
• Self-reflectiveness
• We can reflect on our thoughts and behaviors and make needed modifications
Triadic reciprocal causation
model
Bandura (1978): reciprocal determinism
Behavior is the result of interactions among
personal characteristics, behavior, environmental
factors
Learning results from interactions among three
factors:
1. Personal characteristics
2. Behavioral patterns
3. Environmental stimuli
Triadic reciprocal causation
model
Triadic Reciprocal Causation
Model
Bandura (1978)
Self-system
• Cognitive structures that provide reference mechanisms
Self
• A group of cognitive processes and structures by which
people relate to the environment and that shape their
behavior
Learning Through Observation
Learning that occurs by observing and imitating others (the person

being observed is referred to as the model)
Bandura et al. (1977)
• Major factors that influence modeling
1. Characteristics of the model
• Influenced more by those who are similar to ourselves;
simpler actions; aggressive actions
2. Attributes of the observer
• Low self-esteem; dependent personality types;
motivated individuals
3. Reward consequences associated with a behavior
• Self-efficacy
Process of Observational Learning
Attentional processes
• More noticeable, more easily copied
Retention processes
• Verbal; images
Motor production processes
• Successful motor production requires cognitive organization of the
response, monitoring of the response, and refinement of the
response
Motivational processes
• We must value the response
Bandura, Ross, & Ross (1961)
Procedure
Phase 1
Pre-schoolers were divided into two groups and put into two
separate rooms and allowed to play with "attractive" toys while
“Bobo” an unattractive inflatable, adult-sized, egg-shaped balloon
creature sat by itself at the far end of the rooms
Bobo 
Phase 2
Group 1: While playing with the attractive toys the children
witnessed adults enter the room and start beating the daylights out
of the clown
Group 2: While playing with the attractive toys the children
witnessed adults enter the room and play nicely with Bobo
Phase 3
Both groups brought into the same room
The attractive toys were taken away from each group
Results
•Experimental group: These kids modeled the behavior; Even added
aggressive acts that had not been modeled

Types of Reinforcement in
Observational Learning
Bandura (1977)
Extrinsic reinforcement
Intrinsic reinforcement
Vicarious reinforcement
Self-reinforcement
Bandura (1991)
Posits that human behavior is motivated by self-
regulation
• Self-monitoring
• Self-judgment
• Affective self-reaction
Aggression, inhumane behavior, & moral
disengagement
Bandura (1973)
Exposure to violence in media leads to aggressive acts
by children
Aggressive filmed model just as effective as live model
Real clown just as effective as Bobo clown
Aggression, inhumane behavior, &
moral disengagement
Bandura (1986)
Moral Disengagement
• The process of convincing oneself that ethical standards do not apply to them in a
particular context
• The process seems to permit individuals and institutions to take part in violence and other
inhumane activities
• Their behavior is justified or exonerated
• Rationalization, minimizing, displacement, etc. are used to help in this respect
Bandura’s Theory
Strengths
Strong emphasis on experimental research
Clinical application; using modeling as a form of psychotherapy
Blend of internal and external variables add holistic value to his
ideas; allows for analysis of a wide range of behaviors
Appreciated that his experiments were based on philosophical
assumptions; yet he avoided elevating his empirical conclusions
into philosophical ones
• Not guilty of overextending his findings
Bandura’s Theory
Weaknesses
Ethical issues of using aggressive models
In order to develop self-regulation and self-efficacy in the
classroom, there must be enough time to create a sense of
mastery in each subject
• Unfortunately, that time may not always be available
Unconscious mind not considered

Bandura

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Albert Bandura

Social learning theory

Bandura does not consider himself a Social Learning

Learning that occurs by observing and imitating others (the person

Bandura, Ross, & Ross (1961)

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