PSY 216 Chapter Notes - Chapter 17: Albert Bandura, Social Cognitive Theory, Observational Learning
Document Summary
Takes chance encounters (an unintended meeting of persons unfamiliar to each other) and fortuitous events (an environmental experience that is unexpected and unintended) seriously, even while recognizing that these meetings and events do not invariably alter one"s path. Learning left to the initiative of the students. Fortuitous events are important influences in people"s lives. Humans are quite flexible and capable of learning a multitude of attitudes, skills, behaviors that are a result of vicarious experiences/observing others. Observation allows people to learn without performing any behavior. Bandura thinks that reinforcement is not necessary for learning. Observational learning is much more efficient than learning through direct experience: modeling: adding and subtracting from the observed behavior and generalizing from one observation to another. Involves symbolically representing information and storing it for use at a future time. People are more likely to model high-status, competent, and powerful individuals. People who lack skill, status, and novices are more likely to model.
