The theory of social learning is brief. The author of the theory of social learning

The last 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 today remains very popular in the countries of the Western world, while 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, the child, when he comes into the world, 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 to behavior skills, but also to certain knowledge, as well as to skills, values and skills.

Particular attention to the scientists who developed this theory, gave study by imitation. And they, on the one hand, relied on behaviorism as a classical theory explaining the causes of human behavior, and, on the other hand, psychoanalysis created by Z. Freud.

In general, this concept is a work that, appearing on the pages of thick academic journals, has become very demanded by the American society. She was fond of politicians who dreamed to learn the laws of human behavior and manage through their large number of people, and representatives of other professions: from servicemen and police to housewives.

Socialization as the central concept of the concept

The theory of social learning in many ways contributed to the fact that the notion of socialization, which implied the child's assimilation of the norms and values of the society in which he lives, became very popular in psycho-pedagogical science. In social psychology, the notion of socialization has become central. At the same time, Western scientists shared spontaneous socialization (uncontrollable from adults, in the process of which a child from peers learns information that his parents do not always try to tell him, for example, about the peculiarities of sexual relations between people) and centralized socialization (under which scientists understood themselves Upbringing).

Such an understanding of upbringing, as a specially organized process of socialization, did not find understanding in the domestic pedagogy, so this provision is still contested in Russian pedagogical science.

The theory of social learning argues that socialization is a concept that is equal to the phenomenon of upbringing, but in other schools of psychology and pedagogy in the West, socialization has received other qualitative interpretations. For example, in behaviorism it is treated 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, whose main ideas were voiced by scientists at the beginning of the last century, was created in American and Canadian works by authors such as A. Bandura, B. Skinner, R. Sears.

However, even these psychologists, being like-minded people, differently considered the main points of the theory they have created.

Bandura studied this theory from the point of view of the experimental approach. Through numerous experiments, the author has revealed a direct relationship between examples of different behaviors and the imitation of children by him.

Sears consistently argued that the child during his life passes through three phases of imitation of the adult, the first of which is unconscious, and the second two are conscious.

Skinner created a theory of so-called reinforcement. He believed that the assimilation of a new model of behavior in a child is due to this reinforcement.

Thus, one can not answer the question of which of the scientists has developed the theory of social learning, unequivocally. This was done in the works of a whole group of American and Canadian scientists. Later, this theory became popular in the countries of Europe.

Experiments of A. Pandury

For example, A. Bandura believed that the goal of the educator is the need to form a new model of behavior in the child. However, in achieving this goal, it is not possible to use only traditional forms of educational influence, such as beliefs, rewards or punishments. A fundamentally different behavior system of the educator is needed. Children, watching the behavior of a significant person for them, will unconsciously take over his feelings and thoughts, and then the entire holistic line of behavior.

In support of his theory, Bandura conducted the following experiment: he collected several groups of children and showed them films with different content. Children who watched films with an aggressive plot (aggression at the end of the film was rewarded), after watching the movie in their manipulations with toys copied violent behavior. Children who watched movies with the same content, but in which aggression was punished, also demonstrated strong hostility, but in smaller volumes. Children who watched movies without aggressive content did not show it in their games after watching the movie.

Thus, the experimental studies conducted by A. Bandura proved the main points of the theory of social learning. These studies have revealed a direct link between viewing different films and the behavior of children. Soon Pandora's positions were recognized as true positions throughout the scientific world.

The essence of the theory of Pandura

The author of the theory of social learning - Bandura - believed that a person's personality should be seen in the interaction of his behavior, social environment and cognitive sphere. In his opinion, it is the situational factors and predisposing factors that determine human behavior. The scientist believed that the people themselves can consciously change a lot in their behavior, but for this it is very important for their personal understanding of the essence of the events and the desire.

It is to this scientist that the idea arises that people are both a product of their own behavior, as well as creators of their own social environment and, accordingly, of their behavior.

Unlike Skinner, Bandura did not point out that everything depends on 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 stuff.

According to A. Bandura, the central concept in the theory of social learning is precisely learning, the conscious or the unconscious, which takes over every person born on earth from his closest associates.

At the same time, the scientist pointed out that people's behavior 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 may be a long prison term, but he is going to this case, hoping that he will escape 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, in contrast to animals, the ability to foresee their actions.

The work of psychologist R. Sears

The theory of social learning has found its embodiment in the works of psychologist R. Sears. The scientist proposed the concept of a dyadic analysis of personal development. The psychologist said that the child's personality is formed as a result of dyadic relationships. This relationship between 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 his development passes as it were three stages of imitation:

- rudimentary imitation (occurs at an early age on the unconscious level);

- Primary imitation (the beginning of the process of socialization within the family);

- secondary motivational imitation (starts from the moment the child enters the school).

The most important of these phases, the scientist considered the second, which was associated with family education.

Forms of dependent behavior of the child (according to Sears)

The theory of social learning (briefly called the theory of learning) in Sears's works 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 early years of the baby's life.

Let us consider them in more detail.

The first form. Negative attention. With this form, the child tries to attract the attention of adults by any means, even the most negative ones.

The second form. Search for confirmation. The child is constantly looking for comfort from adults.

Third form. Positive attention. The child's search for praise from significant adults.

Fourth form. Search for special intimacy. The child requires constant attention from adults.

The fifth form. Search for touches. The child needs constant physical attention, expressing love from the parents: affection and embraces.

The scientist considered all these forms quite dangerous in that they were extremes. Parents he advised to adhere to the golden mean in the upbringing and not to bring the matter to the point that these forms of dependent behavior began to progress in the child.

The concept of B. Skinner

The theory of social learning found its embodiment in the works of Skinner. The main thing in his scientific theory is the phenomenon of so-called reinforcement. He suggests that reinforcement, expressed by encouragement or reward, greatly enhances the probability of the child adopting the model of behavior suggested to him.

The scientist divides the reinforcement into two large groups, conditionally calling it positive reinforcement and negative. He refers positive things to positive things that affect the development of the child positively, to negative ones - that leads to disruptions in its development and forms social deviations (for example, hobby for alcohol, drugs, etc.).

Also, according to Skinner, reinforcement can be primary (natural effects, food and so on) and conditional (signs of love, monetary units, attention signs, etc.).

By the way, Skinner was a consistent opponent of any punishments in the upbringing of children, believing that they are absolutely harmful, since they represent a negative reinforcement.

Works of other scientists

The theory of social learning, briefly considered above, found its embodiment in the writings of other psychologists in the US and Canada.

So, the scientist J. Gevirz was studying the conditions of the birth of social motivation in children. The psychologist came to the conclusion that this motivation is created in the process of interaction between adults and children and manifests itself from infancy in the latter in the fact that children laugh or cry, cry or, conversely, behave peacefully.

The colleague J. Gewirz, American U. Bronfenbrenner, paid special attention to the problem of personal 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 so-called age segregation. The essence of it was this: young people, leaving certain families, can not find themselves in life, they do not know what to do, and feel alien to all around them.

The work of the scientist on this subject turned out to be very popular in contemporary society. The reasons for this social exclusion Bronfenbrenner called the need for women-mothers spend a lot of time apart from family and children at work, the growth of divorces, leading to the fact that children can not fully communicate with their fathers, a lack of communication with both parents, Modern technical culture (television sets, etc.), which inhibits the interaction of adults and children, the reduction of contacts within a large intergenerational family.

At the same time, Bronfenbrenner believed that such a family organization negatively affects the personality of children, which leads to their alienation from both family members and the whole society.

A useful table: the evolution of the theory of social learning during the last century

Thus, after reviewing the work of a number of scientists, it can be concluded that this theory, having arisen at the beginning of the last century, has passed a long period of its formation, enriched in the works of many scientists.

The term itself arose in 1969 in the writings of the Canadian Albert Bandura, but the theory itself received its integral design both in the writings of the scientist himself and his ideological followers.

The evolution of the theory of social learning, which is also called social-cognitive theory, suggests that the most important thing in a person's life is the example of the behavior of people around him.

Another key term of this concept was the phenomenon of self-regulation. A person can change his behavior at will. Moreover, he can in his mind form the image of the desired future and do everything to make his dream become a reality. People who lack goals in life and have a vague idea of their future (they are called "drifting downstream") lose a lot compared to those who have decided what they want to see themselves in years and decades. Another problem that the advocates of this concept ignore in their works: what to do if the goal fails to be realized?

After all, 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 the popular theories of personal development. Many books have been written on it, scientific works have been defended, films have been shot.

Every representative of the theory of social learning is a scientist with a capital letter, recognized in the scientific world. By the way, in many popular books on psychology this theory is used either entirely or partially. In this regard, it is appropriate to recall the book of the once popular psychologist D. Carnegie, in which simple advice was given on how to win people's disposition. In this book the author relied on the works of the representatives of the theory we are studying.

Based on this theory, the principles of working not only with children, but also with adults were developed. It still relies on training military personnel, medical workers, educators.

Psychologists, referring to the problems of family relationships and counseling couples, resort to the basics of this concept.

The first author of the theory of social learning (he is A. Bandura) did much to make his scientific research so widely available. 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!