Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory
The prime rationale behind the psychological studies has been about the causes and effect of human behavior. This led to the development of the social cognitive theory. Albert Bandura is the founder of this theory which analyzes the relationship between the behavioral, personal, and the environmental factors that affect the psychology of individuals. This theory by analyzes the relationship between the behavioral, personal, and the environmental factors and is actually a conceptual extension of the Rotter’s theory of observational learning which establishes the relation between cognitive intake of environmental factors and the corresponding development of this intake into mental assumptions and theoretical frameworks for analyzing the human behavior. Bandura’s theory of social cognitive theory is based on the notions of internal reinforcements derived from mental internal processes and the observation based on the interaction of individuals with others humans. The base of this theory is developed from the fact that an individual observes the other individual’s behavior around them and then behave accordingly, by identifying them as role models. The theory also presents an analytical framework for conducting an assessment of the behavior of the individuals.
How the Social cognitive theory conducts assessment of human behavior?
The theory puts forward the utility of cognitive factors like behavioral reflection and gestural symbolization in determining the subject’s decision whether a particular observation of a behavior needs to be imitated or not. The possible consequences of any imitation are judged by undergoing the mental processes of generalization, comparison, and self-evaluation.Thus, the assessment of the behavior of an individual can be effectively done by linking the mental process of selectively observing and imitating the various responses to decide whether they need to be reflected or not via estimating the probable consequences of their behavioral reflections with respect to all other such consequences.
The unique aspect of these personality assessment tests is regarding the fact the human behavior with respect to multiple changes in the external environment are to be assessed in terms of how they perceive each of them via mental analysis and then decide to imitate and reflect them in their behavior.
Recent trends based on the social cognitive theory
The most prominent fields in which this theory is found applicable as per the latest trends are those related to creating effective learning process for students. The latest trend for applying this theory is regarding using the social media for effective learning of those students and learners who are in frequent touch with social networking sites (Lahiri & Moseley, 2015). Next trend is about using multimedia (audio-visual) based learning methods for those students who are not able to grab classroom teaching methods (Mayer & DaPra, 2012). Another important trend is regarding the development of effective counseling and teaching strategies to generate the entrepreneurial self-efficacy in the students (Bayron, 2013). Different cultures may have different interpretations for these findings as per the latest trends regarding the application of the social cognitive learning. For example, multimedia and social media based learning might not be well appreciated in the conservative and conventional academic systems of the middle-east but they will still be acknowledged in the European countries for their utility.
Questions (insights) derived from the latest research
The following interesting questions are observed in the latest research trend regarding the social cognitive theory:
Can the teaching methodology be changed to invoke entrepreneurial intentions in students?
Response: The research has used focused teaching environment in determining the human behavior to install entrepreneurial ideologies as the external factor for students who accepted it to change their environment via their learning responses (Bayron, 2013).
How multimedia (computer a/v) based learning can ease the complexity of learning various concepts?
Response: This complexity in the observation of various available role models, their assessment in terms of feasibility of possible consequences, and the consequent decision of selectively imitating them can be used to change the learning behavior of an individual (Mayer & DaPra, 2012).
How social environment evident in the social networking sites can be effective for teaching?
Response: The social networks can affect the cognitive system which controls and regulates the thoughts, feelings, and reactions with respect to specific environmental observation and this system enables them to channel the cognitive process of learners and reactions in the desired way that alters their environment (Lahiri & Moseley, 2015).
References
Bayron, E.C. (2013). Social Cognitive Theory, Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy and Entrepreneurial Intentions: Tools to Maximize the Effectiveness of Formal Entrepreneurship Education and Address the Decline in Entrepreneurial Activity. Revista Griot, 6(1), 67-74.
Lahiri, M & Moseley, J.L.(2015). Learning by Going Social: Do We Really Learn From Social Media. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 11(2), 14-25.
Mayer, R. E., & DaPra, C. S.(2012). An embodiment effect in computer-‐based learning with animated pedagogical agent. Journal of Experimental Psychology,18(1), 239-252.
