Social Learning Theory - Assignment Example

Thus, it is through modeling and repeating or doing things that are already done by others is an important way a child learns different behaviors and adopt certain attitudes. However, while observing and modeling, one feature that is in a continuous functioning state is the child’s own cognition. The cognition works in a way that if a child sees someone getting acknowledgement and rewards upon his behavior or deed, the child would him/herself like to receive the same kind of acknowledgement and appreciation from others.

This desire leads the child to incorporate the same attitude in his daily practice so that he too can be socially recognized and accepted. Once the child gets success due to the modeled behavior, he learns to practice the same thing throughout his lifespan. The problem might occur when the child is not able to model the exact behavior to receive acknowledgement. In such a situation, he/she modifies the same behavior multiple times and in multiple ways as long as he might achieve success. In the same way, punishment and discouragement act as negative stimulators for the child not to adopt a certain behavior if someone else is punished on its basis (Cicchetti, 2006).

From the above explanation, theorists (Berger, 2008) conclude that a child makes his own set of behaviors and rules based on the consequences that he sees happening to others, which includes praise, rewards, rejection, or criticism. These consequences become their guiding principles to adopt or reject certain behaviors.. These experiences, moreover, should be directly observed by the children in order to learn. If the experiences happen to a child’s peers, then only it has a great tendency to be adopted since children associate themselves more with peers and friends than anyone else.

Furthermore, they learn to do things, which their peers think are good and acceptable; and disapprove of things, which their peers do not like. A developing child learns in two different ways (Berger, 2008); one through their peers and the other important way is through their parents and other adults who have a significant impact over the child’s life. Since the child’s early learning is at his home, thus, during that phase of his life, he already develops certain dos and don’ts for himself that act as guiding principles over which he assesses others’ behaviors to be adopted or rejected.

The values that he sees being followed at his home are automatically instilled in his life and daily routine. Here again, observation plays a vital role in the instillation of values and family mores. Therefore, a child who sees his parents fighting all the time and never experiences a peaceful home environment would have less social bonding with others than a child experiencing an otherwise environment would. In the same way, the level of expectations that a child holds also shapes according to the environment he gets around him.

A child with less loving parents would not expect others too to show love and care towards him than child who has always been pampered and overly loved by his parents and other adults of his family. In addition, the level of belief and confidence that the child possesses about him is influenced by these