Social Learning Theory - Assignment Example

Running Head: Social Learning Theory Social Learning Theory [Institute’s Social Learning Theory Many sociologists and psychologists (Berger, 2008) have based their works upon a number of theories concerning social learning. Their extensive works focus upon how a child evolves with the passage of time living in a socially constructed environment and on what basis he/she learns certain behavioral traits that become an integrated part of their lives eventually. Writers and thinkers suggest that one thing that is common in learning a behavior or a social trait is the involvement of cognition that makes an individual accept or reject things to be incorporated. Social Learning Theory (Berger, 2008) primarily focuses upon that a child develops while observing the sequential patterns that go on around him/her. 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 circumstances (Cicchetti, 2006). In addition to the above-mentioned factors to the development of a child, one important factor that Albert Bandura, an influential theorist (Berger, 2008), focuses upon is that intrinsic motivational factors such as pride, satisfaction, and self-accomplishment are some important feelings that help in reinforcing of certain behaviors and attitudes in a child’s life. He asserts that in order for the child to model something, he has to be willing to imitate it from inside and that willingness comes from the motivational factors (Berger, 2008). As other observational theorists claim that it is merely through imitation that a child develops himself, Bandura asserts that a child actually analyses and assesses certain behaviors upon his self-made principles and therefore, his mind and cognition plays a vital role in the whole process. He is not merely an imitator but he thinks and also rationalizes his decision and that makes him an active part in the whole process of imitation. He classifies the process of imitation in a systematic manner and says that the process starts with attentions, which goes to the step of retention that also involves the processing of the child’s mind. This then goes to the other step, which is of reproduction, and then finally the factor of motivation is involved (Zimmerman & Schunk, 2001). Thus, a number of social determinants have a direct influence over the way a child develops and behaves. This further retains throughout the child’s lifetime shaping his personality in a particular direction. References Berger, K. S. (2008). The Developing Person through Childhood and Adolescence. Worth Publishers. Cicchetti, D. (2006). Development Psychopathology: Theory and Method. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Zimmerman, B. J., & Schunk, D. H. (2001). Self-Regulated Learning and Academic Achievement: Theoretical Perspectives. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Read More