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Social learning theory is a theory of social behavior that proposes that new behaviors can be acquired by observing and imitating others. It states that learning is a cognitive process that takes place in a social context and can occur purely through observation or direct instruction, even in the absence of motor reproduction or direct reinforcement. [1]
The term role model is credited to sociologist Robert K. Merton, [2] [3] who hypothesized that individuals compare themselves with reference groups of people who occupy the social role to which the individual aspires, [4] an example of which is the way young fans may idolize and imitate professional athletes or entertainment artists.
Substantial debate exists in the field over the meaning of the role in role theory. A role can be defined as a social position, behavior associated with a social position, or a typical behavior. Some theorists have put forward the idea that roles are essentially expectations about how an individual ought to behave in a given situation, whereas ...
The theory he expanded from social learning theory soon became known as social cognitive theory. The foundation of Albert Bandura's social learning theory is the idea that people may learn by seeing and copying the observable behaviors of others.
Merton's concept of the "role model" first appeared in a study on the socialization of medical students at Columbia University. The term grew from his theory of the reference group, the group to which individuals compare themselves but to which they do not necessarily belong. Social roles were central to Merton's theory of social groups.
Field experiences are based on the social learning theory; a student follows a teacher for some time, at first observing the cooperating teacher and taking notes about the teaching act. The second part of the field experience is actual teaching, and receiving feedback from the role model and the students.
Unlike behaviorism, in which learning is directly influenced by reinforcement and punishment, social learning theory suggests that watching others be rewarded and punished can indirectly influence behavior. [14] This is known as vicarious reinforcement.
Social learning theory is a theory to explain how people (or animals) learn behavior. People may learn through observing and consequently copy others' actions, goals or produced results. If humans observe positive, desired outcomes in the observed behavior, they are more likely to model, imitate, and adopt the behavior themselves.