Time

2- 4 p.m

Topic

Social learning theory

Objectives

At the end of this lesson, students are able to:

1. Explain and give example of classical and operant
conditioning.
2. Explain and give example of positive/negative reinforcement
and punishment.
3. Discuss the concept of social learning theory
4. Explain about the observational learning
5. Explain about the models of the observational learning and
process involved

Teaching and

a) Presenter give overview about the classical conditioning,

learning activities

operant conditioning(punishment and reinforcement) and social

learning theory generally
b) Ask the students about the shallow meaning of the classical
conditioning, operant conditioning (punishment and
reinforcement) and social learning theory
c) Explain in detail about the classical conditioning, operant
conditioning (punishment and reinforcement) and
observational learning and the models in the observational
learning
d)
e) Show the Bobo doll video to the students
f) Explain the process involve in the modeling process
g) Ask three students to share about their role model in how the
models influence their behavior or cognitive.

Teaching aids

Prezis slide
Annabelle game

Here are the rules of the Annabelle:

a) All students have to participate in this game.
b) Students will be given three bookmarks each.
c) Along the games, music will be play.
d) Students need to pass the Annabelle doll continuously to

their friends until the music stop.

e) Student whom hold the doll when the music stop has to answer
a question (questions are based on the previous notes given by
presenter).
f) Right answer (student can take three bookmarks from their
friends).
g) Wrong answer (student have to give his/her bookmark to two

Evaluation of

of their friends).
Bobo doll video

Students understand the classical conditioning, operant

teaching and

conditioning (punishment and reinforcement) the concept of

learning

social learning theory and can give example in learning and

-

teaching concept.
Describe the influence of the observational learning especially

to the children.
Students able to differentiate between classical conditioning

and operant conditioning

Students able to differentiate between the three types of the

models and can give example for each type of the models.
Understand and know the process involved during the

observational learning.
Students able to share about their role models and how the
models influence their behavior and the way they think.

Reflection

During presentation all students was conditioned using

classical conditioning in order to make them understand more
what classical conditioning is. Before presenter start, students
were ask to whenever the presenter said classity, classity,

class, all students must answer yessity, yessity, yes.

The short briefing and explanations on what is punishment and
reinforcement when well and smoothly as all students seems to
understand it and there were also some questions asked by
some students on how to differ which are which. The lesson
continued with Annabelle games. All students sat in a round
shape, and they were brief on how to play the games, and the
rules of the game.

All students seem to enjoy the games with the music kept on
playing until they have to answer the questions. All of them
were afraid on holding the Annabelle doll as they might
answer the questions, and if they answer it wrongly, they will

be punish and unfortunately will lose their bookmarks.

Lastly, when the games ended, they were brief and explain on
the applications of (negative and positive) punishment and
reinforcement that actually have been applied in this
Annabelle game. The lesson sessions were continued by
explaining to them on what is creative punishment. Students
were then divided into five groups and they were asked to find
any examples of creative punishments that can be apply in
schools and homes. Each groups were then presented their
ideas in front of the class. All of them managed to gave ideas

on creative punishment.
Two students that have been asked by the presenter can give

the general meaning about the social learning theory.

Most of the students can differentiate between the three types

of the model in observational learning.

Students feel interested in the sharing session about their role
model.

Classical conditioning
Classical conditioning is a process of behavior modification made famous by Ivan Pavlov and
his experiments conducted with dogs. In this process, a subject comes to respond in a desired
manner to a previously neutral stimulus, by associating it with an unconditioned stimulus that
elicits the desired response. Classical conditioning became the basis for a theory of how
organisms learn, and a philosophy of psychology developed by John B. Watson, B. F.
Skinner and others. Learning theory grew into the foundation of Behaviorism, a school of
psychology that had great societal influence in the mid-20th century.
Classical conditioning occurs when a conditioned stimulus is paired with an unconditioned
stimulus. Usually, the conditioned stimulus is a neutral stimulus, for example the sound of a
tuning fork, the unconditioned stimulus is biologically potent, and for example the taste of
food and the unconditioned response to the unconditioned stimulus is an unlearned reflex

response, for salivation. After pairing is repeated some learning may occur already after only
one pairing, the organism exhibits a conditioned response to the conditioned stimulus when
the conditioned stimulus is presented alone.
Experiment
In 1980s classical conditioning was discovered accidently by Ivan Pavlov. He was looking at
salivation in dogs in response to being fed, when he noticed that his dogs would begin to
salivate whenever he entered the room, although he did not bring them food. In 1902 Pavlov
started from the idea that there are some things that a dog does not need to learn. For example,
dog did not learn to salivate whenever they see food. In behaviorist term, it is unconditioned
response while behaviorist terms they write as;
Unconditioned stimulus (food) > Unconditioned Response (Salivate)
In his experiment, Pavlov used a bell as his neutral stimulus. Whenever he gave food to his
dog, he will rang a bell. This process is repeated several times. The bell itself causes an
increase in salivation. As this process repeated several time, the dog learned an association
between the bell and the food and a new behavior had been learnt. Because this response was
learned, it is called conditioned response. The neutral stimulus has become a conditioned
stimulus.

Application Classical conditioning in Classroom

If the teacher is consistent and repetitive with these stimuli, eventually the students will come
to learn to behave properly through classical conditioning. There are many ways to use
classical conditioning to teach students expected behavior for routine activities without having
to daily tell them what the teacher want them to be. For example, counts down from twenty to
get class to clean up.
Situation- clean up classroom
Before conditioning
If the teacher counts down from twenty then the students will not clean up the classroom. But
when the teacher tells the students to clean up classroom then the students will clean up the
classroom.

During Conditioning
If the teacher tells the class to clean up the classroom and counts down from twenty then the
students will clean up the classroom.
After Conditioning
If the teacher counts down from twenty then the students will clean up the classroom. The
students` behavior has been conditioned.
Another ways is clapping three times to get the class quiet.
Before conditioning
If the teacher instructs the class to keep quiet then the students will get quiet. But if the
teacher claps three times then the students will not get quiet.
During conditioning
If the teacher claps three times and instructs the class to quiet down then the students will get
quiet.

After conditioning
If the teacher claps three times, then the students will get quiet. The students` behavior has
been conditioned.
Operant Conditioning
Operant conditioning originated by the behaviorist B. F. Skinner, who believed that one
should focus on the external, observable causes of behavior. Operant conditioning can be
described as a process that attempts to modify behavior through the use of positive and
negative reinforcement.
Punishment And Reinforcement

In behaviourism, there are two types of reinforcement and punishment, which is positive and
negative. It can be quite difficult to distinguish between the four of these. However,
punishment and reinforcement brings a different meaning.
According to Cherry (2014), punishment is a term used in operant conditioning to refer to any
change that occurs after a behaviour that reduces the likelihood that behaviour will occur
again in the future. While Prince (2013) stated that punishment is a process by which a
consequences immediately follows a behaviour that decreases the future frequency of that
behaviour. It can be conclude that punishment is a way that is use to eliminate unfavourable
behaviour.
There are positive and negative punishments. Positive punishment works by presenting a
negative consequence after an undesired behaviour is exhibited; making the behaviour is less
likely to happen in the future (Prince, 2013). It means, person is given something that is
unfavourable towards him. As an example, drivers caught speeding on a hi way will be given
speeding ticket or students who did not finish their homework will have to pay five dollars to
the teacher.
Negative punishment happens when a certain desired stimulus is removed after a particular
undesired behaviour is exhibited, resulted in the behaviour happening less often in the future
(Prince, 2013). It means that things that are favourable to a person are taken away as a
consequence of undesired behaviour as punishment. For examples, students who love playing
with their phones in classroom will be punish as their phones will be taken away by their
teachers or taking away childrens toys for fighting with their siblings.
The result of punishment is to try to decrease the undesired behaviour. Positive punishment
involves adding a negative consequence after an undesired behaviour is emitted to decrease
future responses and avoid it from happening again. Negative punishment includes taking
away a certain desired item after the undesired behaviour happens in order to decrease future
responses. As a conclusion, punishment is used to decrease and eliminate the undesired and
unfavourable behaviours.
Reinforcement is used to help increase the probability that a specific behaviour will occur in
the future by delivering a stimulus immediately after a response/behaviour is exhibited
(Prince, 2013). However, according to Cherry (2014), reinforcement is a term used in operant
conditioning to refer to anything that increases the likelihood that a response will occur. In a

simpler way, reinforcement is used to strengthen certain desired behaviours. Reinforcement

may include anything that strengthens or increase a behaviour, including stimuli, events and
situations.
There are also positive and negative reinforcements. Positive reinforcement work by
presenting a motivating or reinforcing stimulus to the person after the desired behaviour is
exhibited, making the behaviour more likely to happen in the future (Prince, 2013). As an
example, in a classroom settings, teachers may praises their students for doing their
homework or excel in their exams, also giving them rewards on their academic achievements
that may reinforce the students to repeat the desired behaviours.
However, negative reinforcement occurs when a certain stimulus (usually an aversive
stimulus) is removed after a particular behaviour is exhibited (Prince, 2013). The likelihood of
the particular behaviour occurring again in the future is increased because of removing or
avoiding the negative consequence. Negative reinforcement should not be misinterpreted as
punishment as negative reinforcement is to increase the desired behaviour while punishment
is to weaken or decreasing the undesired behaviour. For examples, Siti will do the dish to
avoid her mother nagging or Ali will study as he worries about his test soon.
Reinforcement differs from punishment in a way that reinforcement is to strengthen the
behaviour while punishments is to weakens or eliminates certain behaviours. As a conclusion
to reinforcement, positive reinforcement is adding something positive in order to increase a
response and negative reinforcement is taking something negative away in order to increase a
response or behaviours.
Annabelle game is to enhance the understanding of the students on behaviourism focusing on
punishment and reinforcement. In this game, punishment and reinforcement is applied in a
way of:

Positive punishment: Students who answer the questions wrongly will be

punishing.
Negative punishment: Students who answered wrongly will have to give away

his/her two bookmarks to their friends.

Positive reinforcement: Students answer the questions right may take three

bookmarks from their friends.

Negative reinforcement: Students will always be prepared to study before class as
they do not want to be punish (the questions in the games are basically to test their

knowledge in behaviourism and to identify which students did their readings and
which are not before classes).
Thus, this game is used to make students more understand by applying it all in one game
because most of the students will easily get confused to differentiate which is which. Negative
reinforcement is always misunderstood as punishment and it is hard to differentiate which is
positive and which is negative punishment or reinforcement. After the games ended, students
were brief on what is creative punishment. It is an extra activities that is used to let the
students know and think of a new way of punishments in a creative way, that do not humiliate
the students or gives a negative impacts towards the students (usually practices by the
teachers or parents). Each group have to present their ideas in front of the class to share with
everyone in the class.
Learning Theory
"Learning would be exceedingly laborious, not to mention hazardous, if
people had to rely solely on the effects of their own actions to inform them
what to do. Fortunately, most human behavior is learned observationally
through modeling: from observing others one forms an idea of how new
behaviors are performed, and on later occasions this coded information
serves as a guide for action."-Albert Bandura, Social Learning Theory,
1977
The social learning theory has been proposed by Albert Bandura in 1977
which the main concept of this theory is people can learn new information
and behaviours by watching other people which is known as the process of
observational learning. Unlike Skinner, Bandura believes that humans are
active information processors and think about the relationship between
their behavior and its consequences. Like other behaviourists, Bandura
believes that cognitive development alone cannot explain changes in
behaviour in childhood and he believed that learning processes are
primarily responsible for childrens development.
According to McLeod (2011) children observe the people around them
behaving in various ways. This was proved during the famous bobo doll

experiement which have been done by Albert Bandura (1961). In 1971,

Bandura has proposed that most of the behaviours that people display are
learned either deliberately or inadvertently, through the influence of
example.

The problem, Bandura left, with classical and operant

conditioning is that it has great difficulty explaining how it is that children

acquire new behaviours simply by watching someone else and copying
them. Also, a child does not have to be reinforced herself for the behaviour
to be learned, it is enough for the child to see someone else being
rewarded. Neither of these can be satisfactorily explained by a type of
learning (like operant conditioning) that relies on the child experiencing
the direct consequences of her actions. Bandura could explain this easily
by proposing a different type of learning: observational learning.
Observational learning give a big influence to the childrens learning. For
example, when mistakes are dangerous, new modes of response can be
developed without needless errors by providing competent models who
demonstrate how the required activities should be performed (Bandura,
1971). So the complex behaviours can be produced only through the
influence of the models. Novel forms of behavior can be conveyed only by
social cues and so modeling is the most influence aspect of learning.
Children pay attention to some of these people (models) and encode their
behavior. At a later time they may imitate (i.e. copy) the behavior they
have observed. They may do this regardless of whether the behavior is
gender appropriate or not but there are a number of processes that make
it more likely that a child will reproduce the behavior that its society
deems appropriate for its sex. Who do children observe and model
themselves on? Initially parents and siblings and eventually friends,
teachers, sporting heroes, TV characters . . . even cartoon characters! So,
Bandura would claim that the child who has seen her parents being kind
and caring, giving to charity, caring for the environment, being kind to
animals, will tend to be the same. However, the child who has seen
problems being faced with violence, arguments occurring, wrongdoing
being punished by hitting, will tend to grow up to be more aggressive etc.

They will learn violent ways of addressing the world. Grusec et al (1978)
found telling children to be generous made no difference, showing
generosity did make a difference though. This is evidence that do as I say
not as I do will not work. Bandura has identified three basic models of
observational learning:
1. A live model, which involves an actual individual demonstrating or
acting out a behavior.
2. A verbal instructional model, which involves descriptions and
explanations of a behavior.
3. A symbolic model, which involves real or fictional characters
displaying behaviours in books, films, television programs or online
media.
According to Sarah Mae Sencero in her website of Psychology experiment,
the state of mind is crucial to learning. So in this concept, Bandura stated
that not only external reinforcement or factors can affect learning and
behavior but it also driven by our intrinsic reinforcement which is in a form
of internal rewards or a better feeling after performing the behavior which
are have a feeling of accomplishment, confidence, satisfaction and etc.
Learning does not mean it will bring changes in the behavior of an
individual but also to the cognitive.
The Modeling Process developed by Bandura helps us understand that not
all observed behaviors could be learned effectively, nor learning can
necessarily result to behavioral changes. The modeling process includes
the following steps in order for us to determine whether social learning is
successful or not:

i)

Attention

process:

This

is

the

important

process

in

observational learning because a person cannot learn much by

observation if he/she does not attend to or recognize the
essential features of the models behavior. Among the numerous
factors that determine observational experiences, associational
preferences are undoubtedly of major importance. The more
interesting the model is, the more likely observer like to pay full
attention to it and learn. Some forms of modeling are so

intrinsically rewarding that they can hold the attention of people

of all ages for extended periods. Indeed, models presented in
televised form are so effective in capturing attention that viewers
learn the behavior regardless of what whether or not they are
given extra incentives to do so (Bandura, Grusec & Menlove,
1966).

ii)

Retention process: Retention of the newly learned behavior is

necessary. The second process involved in observational learning
is concern with the long term retention of the activities that have
been modeled at one time or another. The form of memory can
be represented in memory storage in the symbolic form. After
modeled activities have been transformed into images then the
memory codes serve as guidance for reproduction of matching
responses. According to Bandura et.al (1971) observers who code
modeled activities into words, labels or vivid imagery learn and
retain the behavior better than those who simply observe while
observe the performance of others. At this stage of process also
Bandura has found in the experiment that the children do not
always immediately show the learned behavior. The children will
imitate the behavior when they were given a chance or
opportunities to imitate the behavior.

iii)

Reproduction process: after successful in paying attention and

retaining

the

relevant

information,

the

next

step

is

to

demonstrate the behavior. According to Huitt and Monetti (.) in

this phase, practice of the behavior by repeatedly doing is
important for improvement. According to Bandura (1971) to
achieve the behavioural reproduction, a learner must put
together a given set of responses according to the modeled
patterns. The successfulness of the observational learning o
exhibit behaviorally is depends on the skills. If the learner
possesses the constituent elements, he can easily integrate them
to produce new patterns of behavior but if lacking behavioural

reproduction will be faulty. In most everyday everyday learning,

people usually achieve rough approximately of new patterns of
behavior by modeling and refine them through self-corrective
adjustments

on

the

basis

of

informative

feedback

from

performance.

iv)

Motivation process: feeling motivated to repeat the behavior in

order to keep on performing it. This stage is where reinforcement
and punishment come in. The learner can be rewarded by
demonstrating the behavior properly and punished by displaying
it

inappropriately.

When

positive

incentives

are

provided,

observational learning which previously remained unexpressed

will be turn into action (Bandura, 1965). Reinforcement influences
not only regulate the overt expression of matching behavior but
they can affect the level of observational learning by controlling
what people attend to and how actively they code and rehearse
what they have seen.

References
Bandura, A. (1971). Social Learning Theory. General Learning Corporation.
Cherry, K. (n.d.). Do Psychologists Think Punishment Is Effective?. About. Retrieved October
19, 2014, from http://psychology.about.com/od/operantcond
Cherry, K. (n.d.). Find Out the 2 Types of Reinforcement. About. Retrieved October 19, 2014,
from http://psychology.about.com/od/operantcon
Huitt, W., & Monetti, D. (in press). Social learning perspective. In W. Darity, International
Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences (2nd ed.). Farmington Hills, MI: Macmillan
Reference USA/Thompson Gale. Retrieved [2014, October 22 nd ] from
http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/papers/soclrnpers.pdf
McLeod, S. (2011) Bandura-Social Learning Theory. Retrieved from
http://www.simplypsychology.org/bandura.html
Phillip J. Decker, (1986),"Social Learning Theory and Leadership", Journal of Management
Development, Vol. 5 Iss 3 pp. 46 58
Prince, K. (2013, February 5). The Difference between Positive/Negative Reinforcement and
Positive/Negative Punishment - Behavior Analysts Tampa: ABA Therapy, Autism, Behavior
Problems, ADHD/Learning Disabilities. Behavior Analysts Tampa ABA Therapy Autism
Behavior Problems ADHDLearning Disabilities. Retrieved October 19, 2014, from
http://bcotb.com/the-difference-between-positivenegative-reinforcement-andpositivenegative-punishment/

Reinforcement and Punishment. (n.d.).Reinforcement and Punishment. Retrieved October 20,

2014, from http://www2.psychology.uiowa.edu/faculty/
Sincero, S.M. (2007). Social Learning Theory. Retrieved from
https://explorable.com/social-learning-theory

Faculty of Educational Studies

Principle of Educational
Psychology
Group Report

Illi Nurashikin
GS38619
Naqiah Puaad
GS38686
Wirda Zuziela bt Andi
GS41696

[Type the author name]

Pensyarah : Dr. Nor Aniza Binti Ahmad

Semester : 1st Semester 2013/2014