HOW HAS SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY CONTRIBUTED TO OUR UNDERSTANDING OF HUMAN LEARNING?

Learning theory that emphasizes not only reinforcement but also the effects of cues on thought and of thought on action.

Modeling: Imitation of others' behavior.

Observational learning: Learning by observation and imitation of others. 

1. Attentional Phase: The first phase in observational learning is paying attention students pay attention to role models who are attractive popular. Ss pay attention to successful, ideal models.
2.  Retention Phase: Once the Ts have Ss’ attention, it’s time to model the behavior that they want Ss to imitate. Exp: T show how to write A, and Ss imitate T while writing A themselves. 
3. Reproduction Phase: Ss try to match their behavior to match to the model’s.  
4. Motivational Phase: Ss will imitate the model because doing so will increase their own chances to be reinforced. Ss pay attention to the model, practice it, reproduce it because they have learned that this is what the teacher likes and they want to please the teacher. When the Ss make a recognizable A, the teacher says; “nice work”

Vicarious learning

Learning based on observation of the consequences of others' behavior. Classroom teachers use the principle of vicarious learning all the time. When one student is fooling around, teachers often single out others who are working well

Self-Regulated Learning

Bandura (1997) hypothesized that people observing their own behavior, judge it against their own standards, and reinforce or punish themselves self-regulation Rewarding or punishing one's own behavior themselves. Students can be taught to use self-regulation strategies, and they can be reminded to do so in a variety of contexts so that self-regulation becomes a habit. For example students might be asked to set goals for the amount of time they expect to study each evening and to record whether or not they meet their goals.

Meichenbaum's Model of Self-Regulated Learning

Ss can be taught to monitor and regulate their own behavior. Self-regulated learning strategies of this kind are often called cognitive behavior modification. For example, Meichenbaum (1977) developed a strategy in which students are trained to say to themselves, "What is my problem? What is my plan? Am I using my plan? How did I do?"

Cognitive Behavior Modification

Procedures based on both behavioral and cognitive principles for changing one's own behavior by means of self-talk and self-instruction.

The steps involved in self-instruction are described by Meichenbaum (1977) as follows;

1. An  adult model performs a task while talking  to self out loud  (cognitive modeling). 
2. The child performs the same task under the direction of the model's instructions (overt external guidance) 
3. The child performs the task while instructing self aloud (overt self-guidance). 
4. Child whispers the instructions to self as he or she goes through the task. (faded, overt self-guidance). 
5. The child performs the tasks while guiding his or her performance via private speech (covert self-instruction).

Self-Reinforcement Drabman, Spitalnik, and O'Leary (1973) designed and evaluated a classic procedure to teach students to regulate their own behavior. They asked teachers to rate student behaviors each day and reinforce students when they earned high ratings. Then they changed the program: They asked the students to guess what rating the teacher had given them. The students were reinforced for guessing correctly. Finally, the reinforcers were gradually removed. The students' behavior improved under the reinforcement and guessing conditions, and it remained at its improved level long after the program was ended. The authors explained that students who were taught to match the teacher's ratings developed their own standards for appropriate behavior and reinforced themselves for meeting those standards.

Strengths and Limitations of Behavioral Learning Theories

It is important to recognize, however, that behavioral learning theories are limited in scope. With the exception of social learning theorists, behavioral learning theorists focus almost exclusively on observable behavior. Less visible learning processes, such as concept formation, learning from text, problem solving, and thinking, are difficult to observe directly and have therefore been studied less often by behavioral learning theorists. These processes fall more into the domain of cognitive learning. Social learning theory, which is a direct outgrowth of behavioral learning theories, helps to bridge the gap between the behavioral and cognitive perspectives. Behavioral and cognitive theories of learning are often posed as competing, opposite models. There are indeed specific areas in which these theories take contradictory positions. However, it is more accurate to see them as complementary rather than competitive that is, as tackling different problems.