Week 5 Readings

Social learning - Chapter 2 Ian R. Cornford

This chapter outlines 2 major perspectives of social learning: the history and it’s imortance and Bandura’s observational learning model.

The history goes into detailng the perspectives of Piaget and Vigotsky - two theroists from the twentieth century. Piaget’s theory (Genetic Epistemological Theory) focussed on intellectual stages which are outlined by ages - and what the developmental properties of that stage are. He focussed on the cognitive functions and social interaction.

Vygotsky’s theory was based on the Social-Cognitive approach. His theory endeavoured to explain the links between the development of children’s behaviour and their cognitive processes with socialisation and language. He also refers to theories of scaffolding and readiness - teachers/parents providing support as they attempt to learn behavious.

Bandura’s social learning theory looks into the social, cognitive and physical aspects of learning. His Observational Learning Model accounts for a way to learn effectively through observation of others and modelling. The stages include:

1. the attentional processes (including modelled events and observer attributes)

2. the retention process (cognitive construction and observer attributes)

3. the production process

4. and motivational processes