Social Cognitive Theory
Of all the videos posted to consider this week, the one relating to Social Cognitive Theory was perhaps the most compelling. One of the initial scenes from the video shows a group of younger adults following an older adult across a cross-walk. How true it is that we often rely on the behaviors of others to guide us and teach us the correct way to perform!
Social Cognitive Theory combines elements from both behaviorist and cognitivist orientations and states that people learn from observing others (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007). These observations take place in a social setting and thus are labeled "social learning" (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007). Although it has been argued by previous theorists that imitation and reinforcement must occur in order for social learning to take place, later theorists like Bandura maintained that one could learn from observation free from imitation (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007).
When we consider the truth behind this, it becomes obvious that observation is a powerful tool in how we learn from others. Perhaps we listen to our parents tell us about their previous experiences and thus choose a different path, or we witness the mistake of a friend and its negative consequences which guides us to alter the way we are behaving. Either way, we do learn simply by watching others!
Think about a time when you witnessed an act and this was a learning experience for you. How vividly do you remember the act? What did you learn? Was it as powerful as committing the act yourself?
Learning by observation is a powerful tool. This learning may be positive, or may be negative. The first example that came to my mind relates to our nursing assistant students. We teach them proper patient care methods and techniques in the classroom and lab settings. Then it seems they sometimes observe improper methods and techniques when they enter a clinical setting. Unfortunately in the nursing home setting, due to inadequate staffing levels and burned out staff members, students may observe short-cuts or other undesirable actions. This often means our instructors then have to help the students "unlearn" what they've observed.
ReplyDeleteHealthcare professionals often use the mantra "see one, practice one, do one" when referring to teaching and learning skills. This would be an example of the social cognitive theory of learning.
As requested, I would like to relate an act I witnessed as a child that was a learning experience for me -- and why I never, ever had the desire to become a smoker. I was probably around the age of eight and was helping my cousin and her mother clean the interior of their car. My aunt was a heavy smoker. The overhead liner of the vehicle was white vinyl, or maybe more appropriately, had been white vinyl. I vividly remember my aunt taking a cloth with some cleaning solution and wiping across that vinyl head liner. A huge white swath appeared, cutting through the yellow/brown stained remainder. Even at that young age, it was so clearly evident to me that what the smoking residue was doing to that liner, was only a small indication of the damage being done to my aunt's lungs. To utilize your words, that was a "powerful" learning experience.
That IS powerful!
DeleteI find that I witness this type of learning experience on a weekly basis. The working hours for the majority of the individuals in my office are 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. I have found that if I, their supervisor, am there and ready to work before 8:00 then the rest of my staff is there and ready to work before 8:00. However, if I have a couple of days where I am coming in right at 8:00, then I notice a few people who will start coming in right at 8:00. I have learned that I have to be very careful to be at work in plenty of time to begin the day and be a good example to my employees. This may seem like a small example, but when I actually saw it in practice; I realized how much my employees watched my actions.
ReplyDeleteThe video that stood out to me was the Lady Gaga Cognitive Learning video. I think the idea of putting learning materials into something that is memorable helps in the learning process. When I was in second or third grade, my spelling words for the week were the “-ight” and “-ite” words. To assist me in learning the words and keeping them straight, my father came up with a silly sentence that we still talked about almost twenty five years later: “The right bright light is a delight to my sight.”
The social Cognitive Theory of "modeling" is the concept that resonates with me in this particular theory. I think it is best applied children in the purest form. Adults respond to modeling mostly out of obligation or peer pressure. Children respond as a true cognitive repetition. Here is a great example of a child that has observed and repeated behavior through modeling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTEDgV-Wcc0 I hope that you can copy and paste this link as the comment section does not allow for hyperlinks.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest concern in regard to SCT especially modeling is that behaviors that are being modeled by society are not alway in the best interest of equality. The messages that are learned even with the best intentions send a message of inequality. For example, Gloria Steinem writes in the book, "The Revolution form within" that modeling in higher education is usually with male professors who are mainly caucasian. So, the message modeled there is that white males are professors and where is the door for men of color or women.
It is true that there are models in our society of great success stories, but they are the sensationalized exception to the rule. Do we continue to follow the model as adults or do we implement new ideas and create new ways of modeling a more equal society. Bandura was born in 1925 and his theory, while interesting, and useful, is outdated. Where are the theorist that are women? men and women of color? Why are we not modeling their behavior and where are the theories that are more applicable to our current society?