The Question: Why do people behave the way that they do?
One of the theories to explain behaviour is the Social Learning Theory as proposed by a psychologist named Albert Bandura. Social Learning is also referred to as Observational Learning.
What is Social Learning?
According to the Social Learning Theory, "...new patterns of behaviour can be acquired through direct experience or by observing the behaviour of others." (Bandura, 1977). In the Social Learning Theory, behaviour is controlled by the positive or negative consequences that follow the event (Bandura, 1977).
Social Learning revolves around the belief that learning can occur while watching and observing other people (Cherry, 2019).
There are three main components to Social Learning Theory:
1) Observation - the idea that instead of learning behaviour through methods such as conditioning, reinforcement, and punishment, learning can occur by observing other people's behaviours and actions (Bandura, 1977).
2) Mental State - Behaviour needs to be learned only if the person is intrinsically motivated to do so (Cherry, 2019).
3) New Behaviours - People may learn new behaviours through observation but that does not necessarily mean that they will implement these behaviours themselves. People can learn new things without it changing how they behave or act (Cherry, 2019).
The "social" portion of this theory comes from the belief that people learn through the observation of other people. People interact with others to learn behaviours (Cherry, 2019).
The Social Learning Theory suggests four key principles in order for behaviour to be learned:
1) Attention
2) Retention
3) Reproduction
4) Motivation
How does Social Learning apply to education?
Teachers can use social learning in their own classrooms as an effective tool for teaching. Students are motivated when they are interested in something or see their peers showing interest in something (TeachThought Staff, 2020).
Another effective way to include social learning in your teaching practice is to help build your students' self-efficacy. This can be done through positive reinforcement, teacher-modelling. and confidence building (TeachThought Staff, 2020). Ensuring a safe, respectful learning environment can also increase a students' self-efficacy as well as developing trusting relationships with your students.
One of the theories to explain behaviour is the Social Learning Theory as proposed by a psychologist named Albert Bandura. Social Learning is also referred to as Observational Learning.
What is Social Learning?
According to the Social Learning Theory, "...new patterns of behaviour can be acquired through direct experience or by observing the behaviour of others." (Bandura, 1977). In the Social Learning Theory, behaviour is controlled by the positive or negative consequences that follow the event (Bandura, 1977).
Social Learning revolves around the belief that learning can occur while watching and observing other people (Cherry, 2019).
There are three main components to Social Learning Theory:
1) Observation - the idea that instead of learning behaviour through methods such as conditioning, reinforcement, and punishment, learning can occur by observing other people's behaviours and actions (Bandura, 1977).
2) Mental State - Behaviour needs to be learned only if the person is intrinsically motivated to do so (Cherry, 2019).
3) New Behaviours - People may learn new behaviours through observation but that does not necessarily mean that they will implement these behaviours themselves. People can learn new things without it changing how they behave or act (Cherry, 2019).
The "social" portion of this theory comes from the belief that people learn through the observation of other people. People interact with others to learn behaviours (Cherry, 2019).
The Social Learning Theory suggests four key principles in order for behaviour to be learned:
1) Attention
2) Retention
3) Reproduction
4) Motivation
How does Social Learning apply to education?
Teachers can use social learning in their own classrooms as an effective tool for teaching. Students are motivated when they are interested in something or see their peers showing interest in something (TeachThought Staff, 2020).
Another effective way to include social learning in your teaching practice is to help build your students' self-efficacy. This can be done through positive reinforcement, teacher-modelling. and confidence building (TeachThought Staff, 2020). Ensuring a safe, respectful learning environment can also increase a students' self-efficacy as well as developing trusting relationships with your students.
The image above represents the three components to Social Learning Theory.
Image retrieved from: https://www.verywellmind.com/social-learning-theory-2795074 |
The image above represents the four principles of the Social Learning Theory.
Image retrieved from: https://www.virtra.com/watch-and-learn-modeled-behavior-in-training/ |
|
|
References
Bandura, A., & Walters, R. H. (1977). Social learning theory (Vol. 1). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-hall.
Cherry, Kendra, (2019). How Social Learning Theory Works. Article retrieved from: https://www.verywellmind.com/social-learning-theory-2795074
TeachThought Staff, (2020). Learning Theory: Bandura's 4 Principles of Social Learning. Retrieved from: https://www.teachthought.com/learning/bandura-social-learning-theory/
Bandura, A., & Walters, R. H. (1977). Social learning theory (Vol. 1). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-hall.
Cherry, Kendra, (2019). How Social Learning Theory Works. Article retrieved from: https://www.verywellmind.com/social-learning-theory-2795074
TeachThought Staff, (2020). Learning Theory: Bandura's 4 Principles of Social Learning. Retrieved from: https://www.teachthought.com/learning/bandura-social-learning-theory/