The Social Cognitive Learning Theories

Behaviorism is replace by cognitive psychology.

Social Cognitive Learning Theory gave behaviorism a new life. Albert Bandurabasic experiment:Young children are exposed to a model who performs novel aggressive acts toward an inflatable doll.Later, alone, the children reproduce the aggressive repertoire.

Reinforcement increases the probability of behavior (including new learning), but it isn't necessary.The learner anticipates reinforcement to be received from imitating a model.Reinforcement is informative and motivational.

Reinforcement acts directly on responses to increase their probability.Reinforcement is not a consequence of behavior but an antecedent, guiding behavior.

There is an expectancy concept in Social Cognitive Theory called self-efficacy.Self-efficacy refers to expectancies about possibilities of reinforcement.2 kinds of expectations:Outcome expectations: that the environment will provide a given reinforcementEfficacy expectations: the person's belief that he or she can attain the reinforcement.

Psychotherapy is a process of changing efficacy expectations, and changing expectations of failure, punishment, frightening outcomes.Personality development is the result of learning processes.Acquiring goals, internal standards, and efficacy expectations are major learning tasks in personality development.Children learn self-regulation.

The principal concepts of the theory specify the processes of behavior acquisition and change:Learning depends on processes that start with observation.Reinforcement determines performance.

Reinforcement may be self-administered.Reinforcement may be vicarious.The content concept of the self-system:It's an organization of cognitive structures by which self-observation, judgment, and self-evaluation are carried out.

The effects of mass media:Contrast the Freudian hypothesis of beneficial catharsis with Bandura's modeling hypothesis.Personality development:Observational learning will play a major role in development.Bandura's theory provides an empirical basis to understand how models attitudes, standards, and behavior are acquired by children.

Classically conditioned responses:Phobic fears can be modeled and acquired by observers.Psychotherapy:the direct application of modeling techniques in treatment, not effective as making use of performance accomplishment, leading to the experience of mastery; participant modeling.

marshmallow experiment. Cognitive- Affective Personality System.

: two research programsA large study attempting to predict the success of peace corps volunteers.A long programs of research on delay of gratification in children.

The reinforcement principle:Mischel agrees with Bandura that reinforcement works through the cognitive activity of the learner.He replaces the reinforcement principle with the concept of cognitive transformation.5 variables in CAPS:Encodings: the personal meanings we give to events in our lives, including ourselves.Expectancies and beliefs: anticipations about what our behavior, situations in which we act, and the world around us will bring.

Affect: colors and intensifies cognition, making many thoughts (especially those about ourselves) 'hot', emotional, and an impetus to change.Goals and subjective stimulus values: goals (e.g., seeking power or affection) affect the value we place on reinforcing events.

These are subjective stimulus values.Competencies and self-regulatory systems and plans: our abilities, self-regulation, and ability to plan.