Social Learning Theory: 4 Elements, & examples

Albert Bandura’s social learning theory, as illustrated by his well-known Bobo Doll experiment, centered on learning through observation. He felt that children closely observe their surroundings and the conduct of those around them, particularly their caregivers, teachers, and siblings, and strive to mimic similar actions in their daily lives.

Another important concept of Bandura Social Learning Theory is that observing something does not always result in a behavior change. A person’s perceived need or incentive to endorse and accept a behavioral change has a significant impact on this behavioral change.

Bandura social learning theory explains learning procedures through observing others, remembering material, and later recapping the observed actions. It is also important in the process of socializing with others. Watching their parent(s) or caregiver interact with others teaches children how to behave and respond to others.

Bandura social learning theory and Bobo doll Experiment

Albert Bandura conducted a series of research on observational learning called the Bobo doll experiments in 1960s. The descriptions of two of the tests are as follows:

Bandura (1961) used a Bobo Doll experiment to explore if behaviors related to socialization can be acquired through observation and imitation.

Researchers pre-tested the youngsters for hostility before perceiving them in the nursery and scoring their aggressive conduct on four 5-point scales.

The children in each group were then matched to have the same level of animosity in their everyday conduct. To measure the observers’ inter-rater reliability, 51 of the youngsters were evaluated separately by two observers, and their evaluations were compared. The reliability correlation for these judgments was quite strong (r = 0.89), indicating that the observers agreed on the behavior of the children.

Method

In Bandura social learning theory, in three separate lab trials, the independent variable (the type of model) was changed:

• 24 children were shown the model who acted aggressively; 24 children were shown the actions that were not aggressive; and no models were shown to 24 children.

Stage 1: Modeling

In the context of the Bobo Doll experiment, children were escorted separately into a room packed with toys and directed to spend 10 minutes in a corner playing with potato prints and photographs while both:

• 24 children (12 (twelve) boys and 12 (twelve) girls) witnessed a manlike or ladylike model who behaved violently to a “Bobo doll” toy. • For a further 10 minutes, an additional 24 youngsters (12 (twelve) boys and 12 (twelve) girls) were exposed to a soft as well as non-aggressive model.
• The remaining 24 children (12 boys and 12 girls) were assigned to another group called the control group, where there was no exposure to models.

Stage 2: Aggression Arousal

Everyone in the study had minor violent stimulation. Every child was entered in a room where there were many attractive toys.

 Stage 3: Delayed Imitation Test

The room was filled with both aggressive and non-aggressive models. 3-foot Bobo doll was one of the aggressive toys. The children remained in the room, and their experimenter observed them for 20 minutes through one mirror. They recorded that the children strike the doll on nose.

The outcome of the Bobo doll experiment

It was observed that the children who observed the aggressive behaviors imitated those behaviors more than those who didn’t observe the aggressive behaviors at all.

• Those who had witnessed aggressive behavior demonstrated more fractional and non-imitative hostility, but there was a small difference.

In the case of the male model, the girls acted more aggressively in physical form, while in the case of the female model, they reacted in the form of verbal aggression.

Boys imitated the same gender models as girls.

• Boys modeled physically aggressive behavior more than girls.

Elements of Learning

According to Bandura social learning theory, learning occurs in five stages: observation, attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation. Let’s look at how things function in more detail.

1. Observational learning

According to Bandura, observation does not always guarantee learned behavior. He included four further mediational mechanisms in addition to witnessing.

2. Attention

The learner must focus his or her attention. When there is a distraction, the learning quality is likely to decline. Staying focused on the issue at hand is the first step to retaining and acquiring the information.

3. Retention

How much of what you saw did you remember to duplicate? How well that conduct is remembered is the basis for retention. It is vital to be able to refer back to the behavior we are aiming to replicate.

4. Reproduction

The reproduction of the observed behavior or task is the culmination of all previous processes. After observing, paying attention to, and recalling the behavior or task, there should be the ability in us to perform the same. Adopting these processes does not guarantee the correct reproduction of the behavior because other factors, such as our physical limitations, may influence performance. Consider an 85-year-old woman watching a little child play a game; she may be able to observe and potentially understand how to play the game, but she may not be able to replicate the same behavior.

5. Importance of Motivation

Motivation is a crucial term in social learning theory; everything else is dependent on it. Both reinforcement and punishment are important in this situation. If the spectator does not see a favorable outcome from the conduct he or she is observing, he or she will be unmotivated to mimic it.

Examples of Observational Learning

Now that we’ve seen how Bandura social learning theory works, let’s have a look at how it can be applied in the real world, or, more particularly, in the realm of education.

Without a doubt, the Bandura social learning theory is incredibly beneficial to the educational field since teachers can provide strong role models for pupils to emulate in a motivating setting. Another concept drawn from social learning theory that is significant in student learning is self-efficacy. Bandura values the concept of self-efficacy, which entails believing in one’s abilities: “To succeed, people need a sense of self-efficacy, to struggle together with resilience to meet the inevitable obstacles and inequities of life.”

As a result, we boost students’ self-efficacy by convincing them that they can do assignments.

That’s all there is to it; if we excite students and help them grow their self-efficacy, they’ll approach challenges differently and be inspired to keep moving forward. And, while confidence does not ensure success, it does raise the number of ballots cast in the lottery.

Apprenticeships: Apprenticeships are important examples of observational learning. An apprenticeship allows you to observe the behavior of the professional rather than merely knowing about it in the class.

Apprenticeships are thus highly popular in hands-on vocations such as plumbing, construction, and cooking.

In white-collar occupations, a comparable idea, the internship, exists. Internships combine theoretical learning with apprenticeship experiences to teach learners about the relationship between theory and practice. Doctors, for example, may frequently complete their medical degrees and then work as an intern for a few years under more experienced doctors.

1. Mastering the Art of Walking

Among other examples of observational learning is the fact that when toddlers start to walk, one of the earliest expressions of observational learning occurs. They surely see their caretakers walk across the room numerous times per day.

They begin to see the basic sequence required to walk by monitoring how the legs move forward and backward, accompanied by tiny movements of the upper limbs.

Standing up comes first, followed by keeping balance and avoiding falls. Those appear to be simpler than they are. As a result, children will begin by scooting along while holding onto a table or the edge of a sofa.

After some practice, a toddler may be able to do three or four steps in a row, much to the delight of mom and dad.

2. Gender Standards

One of the other examples of observational learning is gender standards. When the boys observe the male models, they learn to act like males, while girls, when they observe the girls, learn to act like girls in their lives.

Diverse communities have diverse expressions of gender, which indicates that gender preconceptions are acquired rather than natural. In certain societies, women make home decisions, whereas men are considered the head of the household in others.

3. Parallel Play

Parallel play is a stage of play in which children see one another playing. This stage usually occurs between the ages of 2 and 4. Youngsters do not interact with other youngsters during parallel play. Instead, they will observe from a safe distance. You might notice a child playing with a toy while a sibling or peer keeps an eye on them. Later on, the specific sibling shall approach the doll, and he or she will play with it in the same manner as the first youngster. We can see here that the second youngster attempted to imitate the first child. This is one of the most important examples of observational learning.

4. Hunting with a Wolf Pack

Wolves, like chimpanzees, learn through observation. Wolves are exceptionally skilled hunters. They hunt in packs and follow the leader of the wolf pack.

Young wolves are assigned less important duties in the pack. Their job is to study, observe, and improve their abilities. After growing old and strong, they rise through the ranks and play more active roles during hunting.

We can see how hunting in a wolf pack is one of the other examples of observational learning in this case. Indeed, it is the epitome of contextual learning: learning by being a part of a group. You begin on the outside, and as you gain experience, you are assigned larger and more essential responsibilities.

5. Table Etiquette and Cutlery

Other examples of observational learning include table etiquette and learning how to use silverware.

Young children begin by imitating how the spoon is handled, scooped up, and then transported to the mouth for ingestion. Of course, mistakes are made along the way, and more often than not, more food ends up on the floor rather than in the mouth.

Table manners are, of course, culturally determined, so what a youngster perceives as good behavior in one nation may be the polar opposite of “manners” in another.

6. Gestures Defined by Culture

One thing we’ve discovered in the age of the internet and cross-cultural communication is that a simple gesture can have a variety of meanings depending on the culture in which it is expressed.

A thumbs-up gesture, for example, implies “all right” in many Western cultures. When you show the sign to someone, it implies you agree with them and is regarded as encouraging. However, in several Middle Eastern cultures, it is an extremely offensive taboo. In reality, it is the Western equivalent of the middle finger.

This is just one of the examples of observational learning, which culturally defines observed behavior. When traveling abroad, it is best to perform some preliminary research.

7. Observing Bad Habits on TV

Observing others teaches people many essential skills and habits. As a result, observational learning can teach us both positive and negative habits.

8. Language Learning 

One of the important examples of observational learning is language learning. Learning to speak a language takes time. Even if the language is your native tongue, it will take years to learn. Helping your students can take much longer if you are a second language teacher.

Language teachers might use the trick of instructing pupils to watch the teacher’s lips and mouth as they talk. The correct pronunciation is heavily dependent on getting the lips to adopt a specific shape. While simply listening to the instructor can help, pupils’ pronunciation will always be wrong unless they produce the proper shape with their lips.

9. Language in the Classroom

The playground is a unique learning environment. Children learn conflict resolution skills, coordination, and, sadly, filthy language.

Children are inclined to emulate others, which does not always mean imitating positive activities. Most kids have probably heard something on the playground and then gone home and recounted it to their parents. That might be a costly error. Hopefully, the parents will understand and will not panic.

This leads to the following example of observational learning: when parents demonstrate to their child how to manage a similar circumstance. Keep in mind that youngsters monitor their parents as well. As a result, if the parents model a particular approach to dealing with this type of scenario, the children will most likely follow suit when they have children of their own.

10. Use of Seatbelts

Wearing a seatbelt is a prime example of how seeing a public service broadcast encouraging a healthy habit has saved lives.

11. Cooking Shows 

Learning to cook well requires a lot of trial and error. It’s also something that may be picked up by observing others. Fortunately, there are numerous cooking shows to pick from. The chefs do an excellent job of demonstrating how to prepare a dish. All of this may be learned by reading a recipe book, but seeing it firsthand is far more instructive.

12. Long-Term Memory

Latent learning is one of the examples of observational learning. The observed behaviors are only displayed by the individual who learned them years later. An excellent example is a child who learns new words (typically swear words!) but does not use them for a week. The parents, surprised, turn to the child and ask, “When did you learn that language?”

However, unlike most forms of observational learning (such as vicarious learning, operant conditioning, and classical conditioning), there does not appear to be much usage of incentives or punishments in latent learning, which is commonly considered to be necessary for learning to occur.