Comparing Social Learning Theory and Cognitive Thinking

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Social learning theory is about imitating behaviour. Bandura was one of many psychologists who did some depth work into the subject.

Bandura concocted an experiment that was based on classic study on observational learning or modelling. Young children were shown a film of an adult being aggressive towards a Bobo doll - hitting it with a hammer. The children that were shown praise were made to walk up and down a corridor before entering a room - this made them frustrated. When they were in the room, they were watched through a one-way mirror and rated for their aggression. The children who had seen the adult acting aggressively were more violent and imitated exactly some of the behaviours they had observed, as compared with children who either had seen no model or watched an adult behaving in a non-aggressive manner.

First organizing and rehearsing the modelled behaviour symbolically and then enacting it overtly achieve the highest level of observational learning. Coding modelled behaviour into words, labels or images results in better retention than simply observing.

Individuals are more likely to adopt a modelled behaviour if it results in outcomes they value. Individuals are more likely to adopt a modelled behaviour if the model is similar to the observer and has admired status and the behaviour has functional value.

Bandura carried out another study on aggressive behaviour towards the Bobo doll. One group of children simply saw a film of an adult model kicking and punching the Bobo doll. A second group saw the same aggressive behaviour performed by the adult model, but another adult for his aggressive behaviour rewarded this time the model, but another adult, who warned him not to be aggressive in the future, ...

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Parents allow their sons to be more aggressive in their relationship with other children and towards their parents than daughters. Boys are encouraged to fight back. Albeit parents believe that they respond in the same way respond in the same way to violent acts committed by boys and girls. They actually intercede much more frequently and quickly when girls behave aggressively.

Cognitive development emphasis the child's participation in developing both an understanding of gender and gender-appropriate behaviour.

A research showed that when the parents of a newborn infant were asked to describe their babies, they answered in the way the researcher expected them to. The parents of the boys described their sons as strong, handsome, and all those boys' traits. The same happened with the girls, except the girls were feminine, pretty, beautiful, clever, etc.

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