Social Learning Theory

The social learning theory emphasizes the importance of observing and modeling the behaviors, attitudes, and emotional reactions of others. Thus it focuses on learning by observation and modeling. The theory originally evolved from behaviorism but now includes many of the ideas that cognitivists also hold; as a result it is some times called social cognitive learning.

Social learning theory talks about how both environmental and cognitive factors interact to influence human learning and behavior. It focuses on the learning that occurs within a social context. It considers that people learn from one another, including such concepts as observational learning, imitation, and modeling (Abbott, 2007).

For more information, Please go to Albert Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory (SCT): His Agentic Perspective. This Power Point presentation were presented at Theory Tuesday workshop by Dr. Burke Johnson on March 18, 2008.