Lecture Notes: Influence of Observational Learning and Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory

Key Concepts

• Observational Learning: The idea that individuals, particularly children, can learn behaviors by observing others.
• Bobo Doll Experiment: A classic study by Albert Bandura demonstrating observational learning.

Bobo Doll Experiment

• Overview: Conducted in 1965 to study if children learn aggressive behavior by observation.
• Setup:
  • Children observed an adult behaving aggressively towards a Bobo doll.
  • Adult shouted "hit it," "kick it" while being physically aggressive.
  • After witnessing this, children were exposed to a frustrating task (an unsolvable puzzle).
• Outcome:
  • Many children imitated the aggressive behavior towards the Bobo doll.
  • They used similar aggressive words.
• Implications:
  • Demonstrates that children can learn behavior through observation.
  • Relevant in debates about the impact of violent video games and media.

Learning-Performance Distinction

• Concept: Learning a behavior and performing a behavior are separate.
• Follow-up Experiment:
  • Children watched a video where aggressive behavior towards a Bobo doll was punished.
  • Some children still imitated the behavior.
  • When incentivized with rewards (stickers, juice), more children performed the behavior.
• Conclusion: Children may learn behaviors even if they do not initially perform them.

Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory

• Components: Remember using the mnemonic "Am I motivated?"
  • Attention: Observing the behavior.
  • Memory: Retaining the observed behavior.
  • Imitation: Replicating the behavior.
  • Motivation: Having a reason to perform the behavior.

Application Example

• Drawing a Star:
  • Attention: Watching the star being drawn.
  • Memory: Remembering the steps to draw the star.
  • Imitation: Drawing the star based on memory.
  • Motivation: Willingness to draw the star.

Summary

• Impact of Observational Learning: Important to understand behavior acquisition in children.
• Debate on Media Influence: Highlights concerns over exposure to violent media.
• Social Cognitive Theory: Provides a framework for understanding how motivation influences learning and behavior imitation.