Albert Bandura is one of the most influential social learning theorists.
Modeling is a major concept used in Social learning theory. Modeling refers to observing other behaviors which in return will change your own. These behaviors could be both negative and positive. Modeling can change our cognitions about our abilities and improve our self-efficacy.
Self-efficacy impacts how a person feels, thinks, motivates themselves, and behaves.
Bandura believes that direct experience, learning and subsequent behavior change, and the environment influences a person.
The Modeling Process
Not all observed behaviors are effectively learned. Factors involving both the model and the learner can play a role in whether social learning is successful. Certain requirements and steps must also be followed. The following steps are involved in the observational learning and modeling process:
Modeling is a major concept used in Social learning theory. Modeling refers to observing other behaviors which in return will change your own. These behaviors could be both negative and positive. Modeling can change our cognitions about our abilities and improve our self-efficacy.
Self-efficacy impacts how a person feels, thinks, motivates themselves, and behaves.
Bandura believes that direct experience, learning and subsequent behavior change, and the environment influences a person.
The Modeling Process
Not all observed behaviors are effectively learned. Factors involving both the model and the learner can play a role in whether social learning is successful. Certain requirements and steps must also be followed. The following steps are involved in the observational learning and modeling process:
- Attention:
In order to learn, you need to be paying attention. Anything that detracts your attention is going to have a negative effect on observational learning. If the model interesting or there is a novel aspect to the situation, you are far more likely to dedicate your full attention to learning. - Retention:
The ability to store information is also an important part of the learning process. Retention can be affected by a number of factors, but the ability to pull up information later and act on it is vital to observational learning. - Reproduction:
Once you have paid attention to the model and retained the information, it is time to actually perform the behavior you observed. Further practice of the learned behavior leads to improvement and skill advancement. - Motivation:
Finally, in order for observational learning to be successful, you have to be motivated to imitate the behavior that has been modeled. Reinforcement and punishment play an important role in motivation. While experiencing these motivators can be highly effective, so can observing other experience some type of reinforcement or punishment. For example, if you see another student rewarded with extra credit for being to class on time, you might start to show up a few minutes early each day.