1. Social Cognitive Theory (Albert Bandura)
Topic: Individual & the Group
Content: Social Cognitive Theory

2. Who is Albert Bandura? bandura@stanford.edu
Canadian born, Stanford researcher/psychologist UBC alumni!
Author of social learning/cognitive theory – a blend of traditional behaviorism & cognitive influence (1961, 1968, 1977)
Theory of self-efficacy

3. Quick review: Behaviourist approach
Stimulus – response
Study beh we can directly SEE/MEASURE
Mind is inaccessible to scientific inquiry, so why study it?
We can’t see it, measure it - unscientific to study

4. Late 19t C John Watson: conditioning fear in Baby Albert
Thorndike ‘puzzle box’; rewarding cats if they pulled a string
BF Skinner, ‘Skinner Box’; highly mechanized; rewards, operant conditioning
Emphasis was stimulus -- response

5. But what’s not explained in behaviourist learning process?
Stimulus (which influences occur here?) response

6. Bandura:
Agreed with some aspects of behaviourism (power of reward/pun)
BUT
Incorporated importance of cognition in SCT– one of the first to do this.
We learn by watching/observing/ paying attention/recall/insight/vicarious experience

7. “Social cognitive theory (1986) holds that an individual’s environment, cognition, and behaviour all interact to determine how he functions, as opposed to one of those factors playing a dominant role.”

8. Key aspects to social cognitive theory
Humans learn through observation
We imitate behaviour whether it’s taught to us or not (direct, indirect)
Modeled beh is retained
Cognitive process key to learning
Be thinking: what’s the implication for research method?

9. Key aspects to social learning theory
For social learning to take place, we must:
Attention; we must be focused on beh
Retain: meaning, we can recall when we do for production
Motor reproduction: DO the behaviour
*Motivated: have to want to produce the behaviour

10. Motivational role: Social learning
Consistency: repeated exposure to the beh
Identification w/ model: ie: younger students identify with older students – same school, DP
Rewards & punishments: learning takes place at higher rate when rewarded; less rate when punished
Likable: when models are identified with and liked – learning happens at a greater rate

11. Bandura would argue that Reilly will learn socially about ice skating in which conditions?

12. Cognitive role  Social learning
Vicarious learning/experience
Sense of self efficacy – ‘I am able do this action, too’
Learning takes place w/o direct experience (role of thought, imagination, forethought, attention)

13. Key Study: Bandura, Ross & Ross (1961)
4 Hyp:
Children would imitate adult agg
Children would imitate same gender model more
Boys more agg than girls
Non-agg model would inhibit agg beh
Sample: 36 boys, 36 girls, age 3-6, preschool – Gr1
Grouped based on ratings from teachers
Group 1: watched agg adult bash Bobo (clip)
Group 2: watched non agg adult put toys together
Control: no model/played in room w/toys
Matched pairs design

14. Bandura, Ross & Ross (1961)
Result (p225):
Those who watched agg model more likely to demonstrate verbal/phys agg
Gender: girls more likely to imitate verbal agg; boys phys agg
You are NOT required to evaluate in SAQ, but some critical points you have? I’m sure you have plenty 

15. Non participant observation
Research methods:
Lab exp
Non participant observation
IV: type of model
Control: no model
DV: op’d agg
Controlled variables: model actions; toys in the room, Bobo doll, location; time they see the model; sequence of agg acts; same verbal statements
Can it be replicated? – YES
Generalize results
Researchers were removed – watched kids through one way mirror; video
Pre study stage – rating scale (Likert style)

16. Ethical Consideration:
Is it ethical to intentionally frustrate a child? Is it ethical to foster aggression in a child? If aggression had been learned, how might agg beh’s translate into other play scenarios?