In the 1940s, B. F. Skinner delivered a series of lectures on verbal behavior, putting forward a more empirical approach to the subject than existed in psychology at the time.
[5] At around the same time, Clark Leonard Hull, an American psychologist, was a strong proponent of behaviorist stimulus-response theories,[6] and headed a group at Yale University's Institute of Human Relations.
Julian B. Rotter, a professor at Ohio State University, published his book, Social Learning and Clinical Psychology in 1954.
Rotter moved away from the strictly behaviorist learning of the past, and considered instead the holistic interaction between the individual and the environment.
For example, a person may entertain a given level of belief that they can make a foul shot in basketball or that an additional hour of study will improve their grade on an examination.
[11] In his review, Chomsky stated that pure stimulus-response theories of behavior could not account for the process of language acquisition, an argument that contributed significantly to psychology's cognitive revolution.
He theorized that "human beings are somehow specially designed to" understand and acquire language, ascribing a definite but unknown cognitive mechanism to it.
[1] Bandura began to conduct studies of the rapid acquisition of novel behaviors via social observation, the most famous of which were the Bobo doll experiments (1961-63).
"[1] Skinner's explanation of the acquisition of new responses relied on the process of successive approximation, which required multiple trials, reinforcement for components of behavior, and gradual change.
[13] According to Bandura, this model did not account for a response that had not yet been learned – though this contention does not address the likelihood that generalization from related situations would produce behaviors in new ones.
As initially outlined by Bandura and Walters in 1963,[1] the theory was entirely behavioral in nature; the crucial element that made it innovative and increasingly influential was its emphasis upon the role of imitation.
[20] Experimental evidence has shown that humans overimitate behavior compared to chimpanzees, lending credence to the idea that we have selected for methods of social learning.
For example, a social worker might provide feedback and reinforcement for a client who has made progress toward a goal, such as maintaining sobriety.
[32] In the case of addiction, individuals may learn and adopt substance use behaviors from peers, family members, or media exposure, and through positive reinforcement such as pleasure or relief from stress.
These challenges involve individuals performing a specific action or task, usually for the purpose of entertainment, and then sharing the video with their online community.
The challenge quickly spread across social media platforms, with celebrities and politicians also participating, and raised over $115 million for the ALS Association.
The challenge involved people dancing to Drake's song "In My Feelings" alongside a moving car and sharing the video online.
The challenge was initially started by Instagram user @theshiggyshow and quickly gained popularity across social media platforms.
[39][40] The role of observational learning has also been cited as an important factor in the rise of rating systems for TV, movies, and video games.
[citation needed][41] Entertainment-education in the form of a telenovela or soap opera can help viewers learn socially desired behaviors in a positive way from models portrayed in these programs.
At the end of the episode a short epilogue done by a recognizable figure summarizes the educational content and within the program viewers are given resources in their community.
[42] "Media representations gain influence because people's social constructions of reality depend heavily on what they see, hear and read rather than what they experience directly".
Participants are asked what problems in society concern them most and what obstacles they face, giving creators of the drama culturally relevant information to incorporate into the show.
[45] Sabido's method has been used worldwide to address social issues such as national literacy, population growth and health concerns such as HIV.
[42] Social Learning Theory has significantly influenced psychotherapy, providing a multifaceted framework that extends beyond traditional behavioral conditioning.
[46] Social learning theory can be integrated with various therapeutic models and lends itself to a wide range of practical techniques and interventions.
Presenting problems are often conceptualized as behaviors and coping mechanisms that can be transmitted across generations through observational learning and operant conditioning.
[48][49] Social learning theory enriches psychotherapy by providing a holistic perspective that encompasses historical context, cultural considerations, family dynamics and interpersonal relationships, and intergenerational patterns.
Many classroom and teaching strategies draw on principles of social learning to enhance students' knowledge acquisition and retention.
By emulating human learning behaviors, it is possible to arrive at more effective optimizers than existing swarm intelligence algorithms.