Social Theories Blog Post 1

The social cognitive theory deals with observational learning. As its name implies, observation learning occurs when a person observes another person doing something. Observational learning is comprised of two main components- the model, and the imitator. The model is the person performing the behavior. Models can be live (they are directly observed) or symbolic (they are observed indirectly through sources like the media).  Live models can include parents, teachers, friends, siblings, etc., while an example of a symbolic model is a celebrity. The imitator is the person observing the model. The imitator is more likely to imitate the observed behavior if the live or symbolic model is relevant, of high status, of the same gender, and competent. It is also very important that the imitator is paying attention, retaining information, producing the behavior, and motivated to perform the specific behavior. All of these characteristics increase the likelihood of the imitator observing and producing the model’s behavior.

According to Albert Bandura, the most important factors in observational learning are behavior (which includes choices in actions and performance), person (personality, goals, emotions), and environment (symbolic/live models, socioeconomic status). When it comes to the specific person, self-efficacy, an individual’s belief about their ability to succeed, is extremely important. The higher someone’s self-efficacy, the more they believe they will succeed. Self-regulation, the ability to control one’s emotions, is also very important in observational learning. People with higher levels of self-regulation are better at processing more data, paying attention for longer periods, and setting higher academic goals.  

How can teachers successfully incorporate symbolic models into their lesson plans to help their students learn?

According to the Social Cognitive Theory, learning is observing a behavior performed by a model (either through a symbolic or live one). Learning does not necessarily have to include a change in behavior, however.  As teachers, we are our students live models for most of the school day. We can model to them what it looks like when one is reading silently, for example. During silent reading, the teacher can be at her desk reading, to show students that this is how they are supposed to look and what they are supposed to be doing at this time. 

People affect the way I learn through my observing them. I observe several live and symbolic models every day, whether it be professors, friends, people in the news, strangers I see walking down the street, or the many other models I see. I also learn through vicarious reinforcement and punishment, by observing someone getting rewarded and punished and from that deciding whether I want to imitate that certain behavior. If it is something I deem (through my past experiences and observations) as respectable, smart, or a good idea, I will think it is intelligent and may try to learn from it. If it is something I feel is disrespectful, morally wrong, or gets vicariously punished, I will not want to imitate it or learn from it.