Social Cognitive Views of Learning

Basic Assumptions of Social Cognitive Theory

What and how people learn when they take control of their own behavior

People Learn from observing others

students learning how to do long division by watching someone do it first

Learning is internal

You may see someone walk out side nude but never do it yourself

Cognitive processes influence learning motivation

setting mental goals

People and the environment influence each other

the choices people make about classes or extracurricular activities affect learning opportunities and consequences

Reciprocal Causation: environmental, behavioral, and personal factors influence learning and development

Behavior becomes self-regulated

As children grow older they increasing take charge of their lives

The Social Cognitive View of Reinforcement and Punishment

Consequences influence behaviors if students are aware of response-consequence relationship

Giving a student an A and not telling them why means they wont necessarily know how to get an A the next time

Students form expectations about future behaviors to behave in ways that maximize desired results

Outcome expectations

Incentive

A student may believe that bragging about her test will make her classmates ridicule her so she won't do it.

Learners expectations are influenced by what happened to themselves and other people

Vicarious Reinforcement

Vicarious Punishment

A student participates and doesn't win the prize but watches how the other student wins the prize and participates next time by doing what he saw the other student do

Expectations about future consequences influence how learners process new information

If you tell a student that what they are reading won't be on the test, they will most likely not read it or read it thoroughly

If a consequence to a student or a student watching doesn't occur then it can have a reinforcing or punishment effect

If a student doesn't receive the expected outcome then they may or may not work as hard next time

Modeling

When learners observe others engaging in a particular behavior and engage in the behavior themselves

Live model

actual person demonstrating behavior

Symbolic model

person or character in a book or movie

Verbal

descriptions of how to execute behaviors

Behaviors and Skills that Can be learned through modeling

Academics

demonstrating how to think and do a task (cognitive modeling)

Showing students how to do long division

Aggression

Students learn aggression through live, verbal, symbolic models in tv, music, film, and video games

Interpersonal Behaviors

When students are in a discussion in small groups about book and adopt each others strategies on conducting the discussion or how to solicit others opinions

Characteristics of Effective Models

Competent of the behavior/skill in question

Students will imitate something done well rather than poorly

Prestige or Power

Local leaders or renowned athlete

Relevancy to learner

Students will adopt behaviors useful to them

Essential Conditions for Successful Modeling

Attention

Learners have to pay attention to the model

Science Lab or experiment

Retention

Learners have to remember the model

Presenting students with both a visual and verbal representation

Motor Reproduction

Learners should be able to reproduce the modeled behavior

A first grade won't be able to play softball like a teenager

Motivation

Learner have to be motivated to model the behavior

Is the model relevant or appropriate for the students?

Self-Efficacy

Learners self-constructed judgement on their ability to do certain task or certain

Self-Efficacy affects behavior and cognition

Choice of activites

Goals

Effort and persistence

Ultimately, learning and achievement

higher self-efficacy = higher learning and achievement because higher levels of engagement of cognitive processes

Factors in the development of Self-efficacy

Previous Success and failures

Success and failure of others

coping models

Success and failures as a group

collective self-efficacy

Current Emotional state

What others are saying

Negative/positive feedback

Self-Regulation

Setting goals and doing what needs to be done to achieve those goals

Self-Regulated behavior

Before: self-determination/goals and standard

During: Emotion regulation, self monitoring and instruction

After: Self Evaluation and imposed contingencies

Most kindergarteners can sit quietly and listen when teacher is reading, but few squirm and occasionally poke their classmates

Self-Regulated Learning

Regulation of your own thinking and behaviors to learn

Goal Setting

Planning

Self-Motivation

Attention Control

Use of Learning strategies

Self-monitoring

Help-seeking

Self-Evaluation

Co-regulated Learning

Adult-child shared responsibility

Self-Regulated Problem Solving

Effectively directing efforts to solve a complex problem

Encourage brainstorming and creativity or provide general structures for students to follow

Diversity

Effortful control

aspect of temperament that is influenced by biology and brain maturation

Some cultural groups place importance on certain qualities, those students will most likely acquire those attributes

Students at risk

students may have little knowledge on how to self-regulate

Students with special needs

students often have very structured and controlled lifestyles, making self-regulation difficult