The past century in the countries of the Western world has become a real century of psychology, it was during this period that many of the modern psychological schools were born. The theory of social learning was created in the same historical period. This concept remains very popular today in the countries of the Western world, but in Russia, we still do not have detailed information about it.
Consider in this article the main provisions of this theory and the history of its development.
What is this theory about?
According to this concept, a child, being born, assimilates the values, norms of behavior and traditions of the society in which he lives. This mechanism can be used as a holistic teaching of children not only behavior skills, but also certain knowledge, as well as skills, values ​​and skills.
The scientists who developed this theory paid special attention to learning by imitation. Moreover, they, on the one hand, relied on behaviorism as a classical theory that explains the causes of human behavior, and, on the other hand, on psychoanalysis created by Z. Freud.
In general, this concept is a work that, having appeared on the pages of thick academic journals, has become very popular among American society. She was fond of both politicians who wanted to learn the laws of human behavior and manage through them a large number of people, and representatives of other professions: from military personnel and police to housewives.
Socialization as a central concept concept
The theory of social learning has largely contributed to the fact that the concept of socialization, which is understood as the child’s assimilation of the norms and values ​​of the society in which he lives, has become very popular in psychological and pedagogical science. In social psychology, the concept of socialization has become central. At the same time, Western scholars shared spontaneous socialization (uncontrolled by adults, during which a child learns from peers information that his parents do not always want to tell him, for example, about the characteristics of sexual relationships between people) and centralized socialization (by which scientists understood directly education).
Such an understanding of upbringing, as a specially organized process of socialization, has not found understanding among Russian pedagogy, therefore this position is still disputed in Russian pedagogical science.
The theory of social learning asserts that socialization is a concept equal to the phenomenon of education, however, in other psychological and pedagogical schools of the West, socialization has also received other qualitative interpretations. For example, in behaviorism it is interpreted as directly social learning itself, in gestalt psychology as a consequence of social interaction between people, in humanistic psychology as a result of self-actualization.
Who developed this theory?
The theory of social learning, the basic ideas of which were voiced by scientists at the beginning of the last century, was created in the American and Canadian works of authors such as A. Bandura, B. Skinner, R. Sears.
However, even these psychologists, being like-minded people, considered the basic principles of their theory differently.
Bandura studied this theory from the point of view of an experimental approach. Through numerous experiments, the author revealed a direct relationship between examples of different behaviors and imitation of children by him.
Sears consistently argued that the child during his life goes through three phases of imitation of adults, the first of which is unconscious, and the second two are conscious.
Skinner created the theory of so-called reinforcement. He believed that the adoption of a new model of behavior in a child occurs precisely thanks to such reinforcement.
Thus, the question of which of the scientists developed the theory of social learning cannot be answered unambiguously. This was done in the works of a whole group of American and Canadian scientists. Later, this theory became popular in European countries.
The experiments of A. Bandura
For example, A. Bandura believed that the goal of the educator is to form a new model of behavior in the child. Moreover, in order to achieve this goal it is impossible to use only traditional forms of educational influence, such as beliefs, rewards or punishments. A fundamentally different system of behavior for the educator is needed. Children, observing the behavior of a person significant to them, will unconsciously adopt his feelings and thoughts, and then the entire integral line of behavior.
In support of his theory, Bandura conducted the following experiment: he gathered several groups of children and showed them films with different contents. Children who watched films with an aggressive plot (aggression at the end of the film was rewarded), after watching a movie in their manipulations with toys copied cruel behavior. Children who watched films with the same content, but in which aggression was punished, also showed pronounced hostility, but to a lesser extent. Children who watched films without aggressive content did not show it in their games after watching a movie.
Thus, the experimental studies conducted by A. Bandura proved the main provisions of the theory of social learning. These studies have revealed a direct relationship between watching various films and children's behavior. Soon, the provisions of Pandora were recognized as true provisions throughout the scientific world.
The essence of Bandura's theory
The author of the theory of social learning - Bandura - believed that a person’s personality should be considered in the interaction of his behavior, social environment and the cognitive sphere. In his opinion, it is situational factors and predisposition factors that determine human behavior. The scientist believed that people themselves can consciously change a lot in their behavior, but for this it is very important their personal understanding of the essence of the events and desire.
It is this scientist who owns the idea that people are both a product of their own behavior, and creators of their own social environment and, accordingly, their behavior.
Unlike Skinner, Bandura did not indicate that everything depends on the external reinforcement of human behavior. After all, people can not just copy someone’s behavior, watching him, but read about such manifestations in books or see them in films and so on.
According to A. Bandura, the central concept in the theory of social learning is precisely the teaching, conscious or unconscious, which is adopted by every person born on the earth from his immediate environment.
At the same time, the scientist pointed out that the behavior of people is regulated mainly by the fact that they understand the consequences of their actions. Even the criminal who is going to rob the bank understands that the consequence of his actions could be a long prison term, but he goes into this business, hoping that he will avoid punishment and get a big win, which is expressed in a certain amount of money. Thus, the mental processes of the human personality give people, unlike animals, the ability to anticipate their actions.
The work of the psychologist R. Sears
The theory of social learning was embodied in the writings of the psychologist R. Sears. The scientist proposed the concept of a dyadic analysis of personal development. The psychologist said that the personality of the child is formed as a result of dyadic relationships. This is the relationship between a mother and her child, daughter and mother, son and father, teacher and student, etc.
At the same time, the scientist believed that the child in its development goes through three stages of imitation:
- rudimentary imitation (occurs at an early age at an unconscious level);
- primary imitation (the beginning of the process of socialization within the family);
- Secondary motivational imitation (starts from the moment a child enters school).
The most important of these phases, the scientist considered the second, which was associated with family education.
Forms of child dependent behavior (according to Sears)
The theory of social learning (briefly called the theory of learning) in Sears's work suggested the identification of several forms of dependent behavior of children. Their formation depended on the relationship between the child and adults (his parents) in the first years of the baby's life.
Let's consider them in more detail.
First form. Negative attention. With this form, the child tries to attract the attention of adults by any means, even the most negative.
The second form. Search for confirmation. The child is constantly looking for comfort from adults.
The third form. Positive attention. Seeking child praise from significant adults.
Fourth form. Search for special proximity. The child requires constant attention from adults.
Fifth form. Search for touches. The child needs constant physical attention, expressing love on the part of the parents: affection and hugs.
The scientist considered all these forms to be quite dangerous in that they were extremes. He advised parents to adhere to the golden mean in education and not to bring the matter to the point that these forms of dependent behavior began to progress in the child.
B. Skinner's concept
The theory of social learning was embodied in the work of Skinner. The main thing in his scientific theory is the phenomenon of the so-called reinforcement. He suggests that reinforcement expressed by encouragement or reward greatly enhances the child’s likelihood of learning a model of behavior proposed to him.
The scientist divides reinforcement into two large groups, conditionally calling it positive reinforcement and negative. He considers it positive that positively affects the development of the child, negative - that which leads to failures in its development and forms social deviations (for example, addiction to alcohol, drugs, etc.).
Also, according to Skinner, reinforcement can be primary (natural effects, food, etc.) and conditional (signs of love, currency, attention signs, etc.).
By the way, B. Skinner was a consistent opponent of any punishments in raising children, believing that they are absolutely harmful, as they constitute negative reinforcement.
The work of other scientists
The theory of social learning, briefly reviewed by us above, was also embodied in the writings of other psychologists in the United States and Canada.
So, the scientist J. Gevirtz was studying the conditions of the birth of social motivation in children. The psychologist came to the conclusion that such motivation is created in the process of interaction between adults and children and manifests itself from infancy in the latter in that children laugh or cry, scream or, conversely, behave peacefully.
A colleague of J. Gavirtz, an American W. Bronfenbrenner, paid special attention to the problem of personality development in the family environment and pointed out that social learning occurs primarily under the influence of parents.
As the author of the theory of social learning, Bronfenbrenner described and examined in detail the phenomenon of the so-called age-related segregation. Its essence was as follows: young people, having left certain families, cannot find themselves in life, they don’t know what to do, and they feel like strangers to everyone around them.
The scientist’s work on this subject was very popular in his modern society. The reasons for this social exclusion, Bronfenbrenner called the need for women mothers to spend a lot of time in isolation from family and children at work, the growth of divorces, which lead to the fact that children can not fully communicate with their fathers, the lack of communication with both parents, the passion of family members with products modern technical culture (TVs, etc.), which inhibits the interaction of adults and children, reducing contacts within a large intergenerational family.
At the same time, Bronfenbrenner believed that such a family organization negatively affects the personalities of children, which leads to their alienation from both family members and the whole society.
Useful table: evolution of the theory of social learning over the past century
Thus, having examined the work of a number of scientists, we can conclude that this theory, having arisen at the beginning of the last century, went through a long period of its formation, enriched in the works of many scientists.
The term itself arose in 1969 in the works of the Canadian Albert Bandura, however, the theory itself received its holistic design both in the works of the scientist himself and his ideological followers.
The evolution of the theory of social learning, which is also called the social-cognitive theory, suggests that the most important thing in a person’s life is an example of the behavior of people around him.
Another key term for this concept is the phenomenon of self-regulation. A person can change his behavior as he wishes. Moreover, he can in his mind form an image of the desired future and do everything so that his dream becomes a reality. People deprived of goals in life, having a vague idea of ​​their future (they are called “floating with the flow”), lose a lot compared to those people who have decided how they want to see themselves through years and decades. Another problem that is advocated in their works by supporters of this concept as well: what to do if the goal cannot be realized?
Indeed, in this case, a person has a burning disappointment in life, which can lead him to depression and suicidal thoughts.
Results: what new has this concept brought to science?
In the West, this concept remains among a number of popular theories of personality development. Many books have been written on it, scientific works are protected, films are shot.
Each representative of the theory of social learning is a scientist with a capital letter, recognized in the scientific world. By the way, many popular books on psychology use this theory either in whole or in part. In this regard, it is appropriate to recall the book of the once popular psychologist D. Carnegie, in which simple tips were given on how to win the favor of people. In this book, the author relied on the writings of representatives of the theory we are studying.
On the basis of this theory, principles of work were developed not only with children, but also with adults. It is still based on the training of military personnel, medical workers, and educational workers.
Psychologists, addressing the problems of family relationships and advising couples, resort to the basics of this concept.
The first author of the theory of social learning (he is A. Bandura) did a lot to ensure that his scientific research became so widespread. And indeed, today the name of this scientist is known all over the world, and his concept is included in all textbooks on social psychology!