Social Learning

Learning Through Experience

A punisher or reinforcer immediately following a certain behavior unconsciously shapes that behavior. According to Skinner and later confirmed by Bandura, when an individual is continuously and constantly punished for a behavior, the likelihood of engaging in that behavior decreases over time. In contrast, when the behavior is rewarded, the behavior is more likely to continue. According to Bandura, due to this mechanism, people develop hypotheses about what types of behaviors are more likely to be successful, and these hypotheses guide future behaviors. Successful hypotheses are unconsciously strengthened. Although behavior is controlled by external stimuli, it is not always controlled by immediate outcomes. For example, individuals are able to anticipate based on prior knowledge or experiences and, as a result, are unlikely to wait until they are in a car accident to buy car insurance; thus, the potential outcome serves as a motivator for current behaviors. Learning is difficult when individuals are unaware that they are being reinforced for a behavior. However, when made aware of the wanted behavior, individuals are able to discern what is wanted of them, which increases the probability of learning.

Learning Through Observation or Modeling

Although learning can occur through reinforcement or punishment, the world is full of complex concepts (e.g., religion, morals, language, cultural norms) that are difficult to teach through punishment or reinforcement. For example, if an individual has not been exposed to music, it would be difficult for the individual to associate a certain note with the corresponding sound without another individual modeling this association. Therefore, according to social learning, behavior can be learned through viewing examples of other’s behavior, and reinforcement is considered an unnecessary facilitator for learning. Furthermore, learning through modeling or observation prevents individuals from making mistakes and learning through trial and error.

Because learning occurs through the observation of others, the most likely behaviors to be learned are those of individuals whom we are frequently around. However, learning from models is dependent on certain variables. Specifically, various individuals within a social group possess different modeling power. For example, if an individual is perceived as important or interesting, the individual will be observed more closely. The model’s status can be judged by various factors, such as individual’s appeal, speech, or knowledge. Learning through observation can also occur when people watch television. Although models on television are not physically present, if they are considered to be important or interesting, learning from their behaviors is likely to occur. This theory has been used to examine aggressive behavior through modeling. When individuals are frequently around aggressive people, they are more likely to learn that type of behavior. However, it is not enough to be exposed to modeled activities. Various factors, such as anticipation, influence whether modeled activities will be learned.

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