Learning
Theory #3:
Bandura’s Social Learning
Theory A) Description
Bandura's social learning theory "emphasizes the
importance of observing and modeling the behaviors, attitudes, and emotional
reactions of others" (Kearsley 1994c). It has been applied extensively to the
understanding of aggression (Bandura 1973, as cited in Kearsley 1994c) and psychological
disorders. Bandura states:
Learning would be exceedingly laborious, not to mention hazardous, if people had to
rely solely on the effects of their own actions to inform them what to do. Fortunately,
most human behavior is learned observationally through modeling: from observing others one
forms an idea of how new behaviors are performed, and on later occasions this coded
information serves as a guide for action (1977, as cited in Kearsley 1994c).
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© 1999 by Peter J. Patsula |
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