Albert Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory | Free LET Reviewer and Drill

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Lesson 27: Albert Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory

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Albert Bandura (1925–2021) was a world-famous psychologist originally from Canada. He taught at Stanford University and is best known for his “Bobo Doll” experiments and his work on how people learn from others. Unlike earlier behaviorists, Bandura believed learning isn’t just about rewards or punishments, it’s about what we see around us and how we think about it.

Social Cognitive Theory explains how people learn by watching others, not just by doing things themselves. Bandura believed that behavior is shaped by the ongoing interaction between three things:

• Personal Factors: Our thoughts, beliefs, feelings (like confidence and expectations).
• Behavior: Our actual actions.
• Environment: The people, situations, and social circumstances around us.

This three-way relationship is called reciprocal determinism, each part influences the others. You affect your environment, your environment affects you, and your actions feed back into both.

Bandura showed that most learning happens by observing others. When you watch someone do something and copy them, that’s called modeling or observational learning. This helps you learn skills and behaviors much faster than trial and error.

Example: The Bobo Doll Experiment. Bandura showed children a video of adults being aggressive to a toy called a Bobo Doll. The children who watched the aggressive adults were more likely to imitate that aggressive behavior when given the same toy, even if they were never rewarded or punished for it.

Vicarious Consequences

• Bandura said we learn not only by seeing others act, but also by watching what happens to them this is called vicarious reinforcement or vicarious punishment. If you see someone get praised for raising their hand, you’re more likely to do it too!

The Four Phases of Observational Learning

Bandura proposed four steps that need to happen for someone to truly learn by observation:

1. Attention - you have to pay attention to the model (the person you're watching). Just seeing something briefly isn’t usually enough. The model should be interesting and their actions should stand out for you to learn.

• Example: If you’re watching a teacher demonstrate a science experiment, you focus closely to see each step.

2. Retention - you need to remember what you observed. You hold the image or steps in your mind until you need to use them.

• Example: You recall the experiment steps later when you repeat it yourself in class.

3. Motor Reproduction - you must be able to physically perform the behavior. This means you need the skills and coordination to copy what you’ve seen.

• Example: You do your own science experiment, using the same method you remembered.

4. Motivation (Motivational Process) - you need to want to do the behavior. Even if you’ve learned and remembered it, you won’t do it unless you have a reason. Motivation may come from wanting a reward, avoiding a punishment, or simply wanting to fit in.

• Example: You repeat the science experiment because you want to please your teacher or earn a good grade.

Types of Models

Bandura said we don’t only learn from people in front of us, we also learn from examples in books, TV, or online.

• Real Life Models: Parents, teachers, siblings, friends, or anyone you observe directly.
• Symbolic Models: Characters in books, comics, or stories you read about.
• Representational Models: People you watch on TV, in movies, videos, or online.

Example: Kids may copy how their favorite cartoon character talks or acts, even if they never meet them in person.

Social Cognitive Theory Quiz: click here

“If you truly understand, comment your reflection in at least 3-5 sentences or more about this lesson.”
With God’s grace, you’ll surely pass the upcoming board exam! 🙏

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