Soical Cognitive Theory

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One of the major challenges to behaviorism came from studies on observational learning conducted by Albert Bandura and colleagues. (Schunk, 2012) In contrast to Skinner Bandura’s social cognitive theory states people learn new actions merely by observing others perform them. Observers did not have to perform the actions at the time of learning. (Schunk, 2012) For example new employees watching their employer demonstrate how to wrap a knife, and ship it. The employee necessarily would not have to perform the task to learn how to do it. The heart of observational learning is modeling, which is more than simple imitation, because it involves adding and subtracting from the behavior. Bandura recognized four processes that govern observational learning; attention, or noticing what a model does, often teachers make modeling more distinctive by using bright colors, or oversized features. Representation which requires cognitively organizing, rehearsing, coding, and transforming modeled information for storage in memory(Schunk, 2012) Behavior production or producing the behavior that one observes and motivation, that is, the observer must be motivated to perform the observed behavior. (Glaring Facts, 2011) They perform those actions they believe will result in rewarding outcomes. People learn not only from their own experience but by observing the behaviors of others. Vicarious learning permits individuals to learn a novel behavior without undergoing the trial and error process of performing it. (Pajares, 2002) Enactive learning involves learning from the consequences of one’s actions. All behavior is followed by some consequence, but whether Social Cognitive Paper That consequence reinforces the behavior depends on the person’s cogn... ... middle of paper ... ...eone else being rewarded or punished for it. Essentially, behaviorists believe learning must be represented by a permanent change in behavior. Social learning theorists, on the other hand believe people can learn without showing it in their behavior. References: Burton, D.L. (1999).An Examination of Social Cognitive Theory with Differences among Sexually Aggressive, physically aggressive and nonaggressive children in state care. Violence and Victims,14,2,161-178.docprintview/208556067/131141 http://www.ehow.com/about_5421206_limitations-social-cognitive -theory.html http://www.glaringfacts.com/social-cognitive-theory-bandura/ Pajares (2002).Overview of Social cognitive theory and self-efficacy .August 9, 2011, from http://emory.edu/education/mfp/eff.html Schunk, D.H. (2012).Learning Theories: An Educational Perspective. Boston, MA: Pearson.6th Ed.

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