Albert Bandura

A distinction between learning and performance demonstrates that behavior can be learned without performing. In opposition to B. F. Skinner’s concept of behavioral reinforcement, Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory demonstrates cognitive factors influencing behavior such as his model of self-regulation, or guiding one’s thought, emotion, and behavior. Like Skinner, Bandura is a learning theorist and has also tremendously influenced the educational system. He displays the importance of modeling our behavior to the desired behavior of children. Rather than personality on its own, his triadic reciprocal determinism model emphasizes interaction between personality and environment on influencing behavior. The model determines personality between the reciprocal influence of cognition (person factors), environment, and behavior. Self-efficacy for example is one of many cognitions described by Bandura. Self-efficacy must be taught to children with confidence building and realistic expectations in the process of helping them learn. Influential in therapy practice, education, and parenting styles Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory.

Application Questions

1. Social Cognitive Theory by Albert Bandura can describe the similarity between Blake and Joe since the behaviors of Blake were behaviors learned by the baby influenced by personality and social environment.
2. An observational learning example from the case is Joe learning to give cute faces when he made his mom angry; a behavior learned from the environment displaying emotion. In another context, the mother observing and learning how in which Joe learned the behaviors.
3. To learn a model according to Bandura the determining factors should be personality and environment on influencing behavior.
4. Guiding one’s thought, emotion, and behavior self-regulation an example is Joe mimicking the actions of his father. Ability to behave in control of oneself.
5. Bandura’s theory can explain Joe’s confidence in using computers because a child’s self-efficacy to perform such tasks develops in the confidence building and realistic expectations provided by teachers and parents for example Blake.