Which theorist is commonly associated with social learning theory?

Which theorist is commonly associated with social learning theory?

• A. Bandura
• B. Hollander
• C. Freud
• D. Allport

Answer: (A)

Learning through observing and modeling in social settings. Albert Bandura is the thinker most closely tied to this approach. He showed that people can learn new behaviors by watching others and then imitating them, with motivation shaped by the observed outcomes or anticipated consequences. The famous Bobo doll studies demonstrate how children imitate modeled aggression, especially when they expect similar rewards or see others rewarded. Bandura’s theory outlines attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation as key steps in observational learning, plus the idea of reciprocal determinism where personal factors, behavior, and the environment influence each other. Other figures like Freud are linked to psychoanalysis, and Allport to trait theory, so Bandura is the best-known association with this social learning perspective.

Learning through observing and modeling in social settings. Albert Bandura is the thinker most closely tied to this approach. He showed that people can learn new behaviors by watching others and then imitating them, with motivation shaped by the observed outcomes or anticipated consequences. The famous Bobo doll studies demonstrate how children imitate modeled aggression, especially when they expect similar rewards or see others rewarded. Bandura’s theory outlines attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation as key steps in observational learning, plus the idea of reciprocal determinism where personal factors, behavior, and the environment influence each other. Other figures like Freud are linked to psychoanalysis, and Allport to trait theory, so Bandura is the best-known association with this social learning perspective.