Psychology

Monkey see, monkey do  a line thats been heard through the years and gives strength to the fact that conditioning, and reinforcement or punishment are simply not as effective as observation. Albert Bandura is one who believes that unlike what the traditional learning theory suggests, where focus is placed upon an individuals own experience, learning through anothers experience and imitating behavior contributes much to learning (Mazur, 2006, p.278). Clearly experience truly can be a great teacher  vicarious experience can be a great teacher.

Mazur (2006) talks of how Banduras Theory takes from the teachings of the social learning theory, a combination of (1) the traditional principles of classical and operant conditioning, plus (2) the principles of observational learning or imitation (p.279). Though Banduras theory is influenced by the social learning theory, it belongs to the category of a cognitive theory due to its consideration of concepts outside the scope of ones behavior.

Bandura conceptualized four deciding factors for imitation to occur (Mazur, 2006, p.284). The first factor is that of attentional process which, as the name suggests, requires a person to pay due attention to effectively learn. Second, there is the retentional process where a learner should be able to retain information and make use of abstraction to effectively carry out a task if done at a later time. Third is the concept of motor reproductive processes which demands one to have the necessary motor skills to perform the activity to be imitated or to translate the retained information into action. The final factor is that of incentive and motivational processes. While the first three factors determine the capability to perform a task, this fourth factor presents the drive to perform the task in the first place.

Though there is not single superior theory in terms of learning, Bandura has exposed another side to it. It is not only through our own experience that we learn, but through others as well.