Social learning theory

Social learning theory is a way of explaining behaviour that includes both direct and indiect reinforcement, combining learning theory with the role of cognitive factors.

Albert Bandura proposed social learning theory (STL) as a different way in which people learn, through observation and imitation of others within a social context.

STL suggests that learning occurs directly (through operant and classical conditioning) and indirectly through observation of others.

There are two parts,

Part 1

There are 5 key concepts to remember:

1) Imitation: the term use to describe an individual that sees the behaviour of a role model and attempts to copy it, don't say they copy the behaviour as an imitation is not normally an exact copy, it's normally a simulation.

2) Identification: People are much more likely to imitate the behaviour of someone if it's someone they identify with, a role model. The individual must seem to agree with the observers veiws / characteristics and have something the observer desires. (not tangable, its normally a staus or a trait)

3) Modelling: If someone is influenced by a role model and then imitates their behaviour then the observers behaviour is later called modelling. This term only works when referring to a behaviour that is being imitated.

4) Vicarious Reinforcement: When an observer sees someone being reinforced by being given a reward it makes that behaviour more likely to happen again due to the reward that was given as a…