Social Learning Models

This article discusses the different models of social learning and their impact on skill acquisition and behavior. It explores the role of social interaction in learning and the three basic models of social learning: live model, verbal instructional model, and symbolic model. The article also highlights the importance of group dynamics in group learning and the role of symbolic models in learning techniques.

Running head: SOCIAL LEARNING MODELS
SOCIAL LEARNING MODELS
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SOCIAL LEARNING MODELS
The social and collecting learning refers to the acquisition of skills that involves the
cognitive and perceptual observation. Within the last two decades, there has been explosion
of empirical research on the role of social interaction. Social interaction benefits the
individual to imbibe the pre-defined cultural and social roles. Initially a child learns by
imitating the social role that are present in their immediate environment. These roles involves
the necessary sanction that becomes the instrument for the children to imbibe the desired
social roles (Bandura, A. (1969). Bandura has demonstrated that a children pick up attributes
that they observe in other people. He has identified three basic models of social learning.
They are as follows: A Live Model, A verbal Instructional Model and a Symbolic Model.
According to the live model, the individual actually demonstrates the desired
behaviour. Since learning is not a behavioural strategy it also a cognitive process it can occur
through the direct observation and experience. This kind of treatment is known as vicarious
reinforcement. This kind of reinforcement allows the learner to realise the right form of
behaviour by knowing about the consequences that one can bring in. However it is important
to note that the leaners are not passive recipient of knowledge but there is mutual influences
that are taking place among information, cognition, environment and behaviour. This is
known as reciprocal determinism. This model involves certain steps: Attention, Retention,
Reproduction, and Motivation.
In the second model where the child learns through the descriptions and explanation
of a particular behaviour. Owing to this model of internal and external reinforcement serves
as an accelerator of development of the child. However, it is important to realise the group
learning is not similar to the group dynamics. Kasl and Dechant identified that there is a
congruence between group dynamics and group learning in 1993 (Kasl and Marsick 1997). In
their research, they also identified the importance of time and the outcome of the learning
process. In their research they also found out that formation of group are premised in the

SOCIAL LEARNING MODELS
dynamics of group learning. Cranton in his research in 1996 showed that when a group has
been formed for generative learning with a clear purpose in it, even with the failures of the
purpose the inquiry of the group transforms for instrumental learning, which is often
experienced by emancipatory learning (Kasl and Marsick 1997). Thus it can be concluded
that when a child enter the process of socialization the relevance of the group influence take
the role of nor shaping agents.
The third and the last model of defined by Bandura refers to the symbolic model that
refers to the learning techniques that involves the real or fictional characters, displayed in a
book or in films or sometimes in online media.

SOCIAL LEARNING MODELS
References
Kasl, E. and Marsick, V., 1997, June. Epistemology of groups as learning systems: a
research-based model. Education-line.
Bandura, A. (1969). Social-learning theory of identificatory processes. Handbook of
socialization theory and research, 213, 262.