Social Learning Theory of Violence - Essay Example

Albert Bandura Introduction: Violence displayed by children at schools and in other environments is of growing concern to society. These violent behaviors even lead to death of other children. Evaluation of the reasons that cause such violent behavior in children have shown that violence displayed in media, with particular emphasis on television, which is a source of regular and extended entertainment for children. Examining of the learned violent behavior from violence displayed on television offers a means of providing greater clarity to the vexing issue of violent behavior in children. Bandura’s Social Learning Theory: Bandura has provided a framework for the understanding of behavior of individuals through his social learning theory, which has recently been renamed as the social cognitive theory. Bandura clearly suggests that human behavior is learned, and that this learning process is through observation. This process of human learning can be seen in his own words “Of the many cues that influence behavior, at any point in time, none is more common than the actions of others”. (Bandura, 1986, p.206). The social cognitive theory explains overt behavior displayed by an individual in terms of the motivational factors and the self-regulatory mechanisms involved in the behavior of the individual. This theory implies that human behavior is a result of a learning process. This learning according to the theory is called observational learning. This learning process need not be the result of self-experiences, but through vicarious learning, by observing the behavior of others, and the consequences of their behavior. This focus on learning through observation is the unique and distinctive feature of Bandura’s theory. According to Bandura most human behavior is the result of learning through example either intentionally or by accident, and then patterning behavior on what has been learnt. The advantage of this learning process is that unnecessary errors are eliminated. The strength of Bandura’s theory is that it is founded on observations made, has been proven through objective experiments with children. Many of the children behavior patterns mimic those of their parents, and is the result of observed learning of the behavioral patterns of the parents and the benefits that it offers. Bandura postulates that there are four component processes that act within the observer at the time of exposure to a model of behavior. The initial component is the attentional process. Unless attention is paid by the subject to the model observational learning does not take place, and therefore attentiveness is an essential ingredient in observational learning, A girl could watch her mother bake a cake, but if she has not paid enough attention to the ingredients used and where they came from, she would not be able to replicate making the cake. The second component process involved in the observational learning process is retention. An individual influenced by the behavior of another needs to remember the activities that were modeled. The individual would have to encode the activities observed into long term memory for it to be an influence on behavior. These observations according to Bandura are encoded into long term memory in the form of mental images or verbal description. Going back to the example of the girl and her mother baking a cake, the girl would record images of her mother’s activities in baking the cake and recall it to mimic her mother in the baking of a cake. Motor reproduction is the third component of the observational learning process. Motor reproduction involves the conversion of the stored symbolic representation into overt behavior. Behavioral reproduction happens through organizing the individual’s own responses in keeping with modeled pattern. This happens only by rehearsing the modeled pattern. It is however not necessary that performance of the behavior pattern is exactly in accordance with attended to, retained and rehearsed symbolic representation. Going back again to the mother and the girl, it is not essential that girl performs a behavior pattern in exact accordance with her observations of her mother baking a cake. The final component of the observational learning process is motivation. For mimicking a behavior there needs to be a motivation attached to it. Incentives are the expectation of an individual in the performance of a behavior, and so incentives act as reinforcers. The availability of incentives makes the third component of observational process readily undertaken, by translating the recorded impressions into action. Incentives also have a bearing on the attention to behavior models and the retention of the impressions. Thus the girl would pay more attention to the behavior of her mother in baking a cake, and retain it better, when incentives are involved (Goins, E.J.). Bandura’s Social Learning Theory in Violent Behavior of Children: Bandura’s social learning theory provides a means of understanding the impact that television has in modeling behavior in children that result in violence. According to Bandura children and adults acquire attitudes and emotional responses and new modes of behavior by watch models of behavior on films and television. This had led to the caution that watching television could create violent behavior in children and adults that could be the cause of severe concern in society. The impact of violence in television on children becomes clear, when we observe the television viewing pattern and its resultant effect. Let’s look at the television viewing pattern of an average American child. After school it is quite likely that the child spends an hour playing Nintendo, helping the heroes fight their way out of danger, like all super heroes do. The next half an hour could be spent watching television depicting different forms of violence in different situation, where even heroes depict violent behaviors in situations. Post dinner the child may switch to the sports channels, and end up viewing more violence depicted in roller derby or wrestling. The child may wind up his television viewing by watching a movie like “Dirty Harry” that justifies violence by heroes. The total four hours of television viewing has been centered on violence, which the child has watched attentively. It is quite likely that the child has retained images of some model of violent behavior, which may be rehearsed from time to time. The first three components of observational learning that leads to violence in children have fallen in place. It only needs the motivation or incentive for this model of behavior to be mimicked by the child. Thus the child may end up beating up his sister over sharing a household utility, shooting a prowler or an imagined prowler, using violence to get things that he wants, or evening shooting his classmate over a quarrel, or his class teacher because of her strictness (SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY of Albert Bandura). Parents as Moderators of Child Behavior: Parents are the primary role models for children. They also have a control over the activities of their children. It is these two factors that make parents the most suitable moderators of child behavior to reduce violent behavior in children. Parents by displaying no violence in their behavior to the children and others create a role model for the child to mimic that does not demonstrate violent behavior under any circumstances. Controlling the duration of television and the kind of programs watched by children, reduce the potential for viewing violence depicted on television. Viewing of television programs that are wholesome can be encouraged by parents spending time with their children in the viewing of television and moderating any violence depicted on the television, by interpreting it in a manner that reduces the possibility of violence being viewed as a suitable behavior pattern. Making of the viewing of television a family affair ensures the suitability of television programs viewed by children (Cheng, L.T. et al, 2004) Censorship: In my opinion censorship is not an efficient means to reduce the potential for violent behavior in children. This is because censorship is a restrictive practice. Restrictive practices have seldom been effective in bringing about a change for the better in the behavior patterns of children. Restriction only brings about the difficulty in availability not the lure for viewing of violence, and developing violent behavior patterns. Conclusion: Violent behavior in children is a cause for concern in society. Violent behaviors depicted on the television are quite likely to be the cause for the development of violent behaviors in children. Albert Bandura’s social theory of learning explains with clarity the manner in which television can influence the development of violent behavior in children. Parents have a significant role to play in reducing the potential for the development of violence in children, through their role model facilitation, and their ability to control the time spent on viewing television, and the content viewed. Censorship may not be effective in reducing the potential for developing violent behaviors in children, because of its restrictive nature. Literary References Bandura, A. (1986). Social Learning Theory. New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc. Pp. 206. Cheng, L.T. et al. (2004). Childrens Violent Television Viewing: Are Parents Monitoring? Pediatrics, 114(1), 94-99. Goins, E.J. (2000). Albert Bandura’s Social Learning. Retrieved March 21, 2007, from XULA neXUS. Web site: http://www.xula.edu/xulanexus/issue2/Goins.html SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY of Albert Bandura. Retrieved March 21, 2007. Web site: http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/comm/bandur-s.mhtml .  Read More