Neo Behaviorism: Tolman and Bandura

Neo Behaviorism: Tolmans Purposive Behaviorsm and Bandura Social Learning TheoryBridging the gap between behaviorism and cognitive theories of learning.Objectives:At the end of the lesson, students are expected to:Explain Tolmans purposive behaviorismExplain Banduras social learning theoryGive specific applications of each theory in teachingTolmans Purposive BehaviorismEdward Chace Tolman spent most of his professional life on the faculty of the University of California at BerkeleyHis major work was Purposive Behaviorism in Animals and Men published in 1932.

Purposive BehaviorismTolman believed that learning is a cognitive process. Learning involves forming beliefs and obtaining knowledge about the environment and then revealing that knowledge through purposeful and goal-directed behavior.Tolmans system was called purposive behaviorism because it studies behavior as it is organized around purposes.

A new stimulus (the sign) becomes associated with already meaningful stimuli (the significate) through series of pairings; there was no need for reinforcement in order to establish learning.Tolmans Key ConceptsLearning is always purposive and goal-directedIndividuals act on beliefs, attitudes, changing conditions, and they strive towards goals. Tolman saw behavior as holistic, purposive, and cognitive.

Cognitive mapLearning the location of reward.Once an individual has learned where a given kind of reward is located, that location can often be reached by means other than those originally used.Example: A shopper finds an interesting store while exploring a city on foot. The shopper can then return to the store either by car or bus.Latent LearningWhenever learning goes on without its being evident in performance at the time.Example: Rats spent several nights in mazes with- out being fed. found their way to the goal box without reinforcement.They develop cognitive maps without rewards.The concept of intervening variableLearning is mediated or is influenced by expectations, perceptions, representations, needs and other internal or environmental variables.Example:hunger was the intervening variable with ratsReinforcement not essential for learning.Tolman concluded that reinforcement is not essential for learning although it provides an incentive for performance.Example:Rat was able to acquire knowledge of the way through a maze even in the absence of reinforcement.Banduras Social Learning TheoryPeople learn from one another by observational learning, imitation, and modeling.General principles of social learning theoryPeople can learn by observing the behavior of others.Learning can occur without a change in behavior.Cognition plays a role in learning.It is a bridge or a transitions between behaviorist learning theory and cognitive learning theory.How the environment reinforces and punishes modelingThe observer is reinforced by the model.Example: student who changes dress to fit in with a certain group of students has a strong likelihood of being accepted and thus reinforced by that group

2. The observer is reinforced by a third person.The observer might be modeling the actions of someone else.Example: an outstanding class leader or student. The teacher notices this and compliments and praises the observer for modeling such behavior thus reinforcing that behaviorThe imitated behavior itself leads to reinforcing consequences.Many behaviors that we learn from others produce satisfying or reinforcing results.Example: A students observe how the extra work a classmate does is fun. This student in turn would do the same extra work and also experience enjoyment.

Consequences of the models behavior affect the observers behavior vicariously.This is known as vicarious reinforcement. This is where the model is reinforced for a response and then the observer shows an increase in that same response.Example: a model hitting an inflated clown doll. One group of children saw the model being praised for such action, so the children began to also hit the doll.Contemporary social learning perspective of reinforcement and punishmentBoth reinforcement and punishment have indirect effect on learning.Influence the extent to which an individual exhibits a behavior that has been learned.The expectation of reinforcement influences cognitive processes that promote learning.Cognitive factors in social learningLearning without performance: a distinction between learning through observation and the actual imitationCognitive processing during learning: attention is the critical factor for learningExpectations: people form expectations about the consequences that future behaviors are likely to bringReciprocal causation: the three variables, the person, the behavior, and the environment can have an influence on each otherModeling: there are different types of modes: live model actual demonstration symbolic model - person or action portrayed in othe medium (television, videotape, computer programs)Conditions necessary for effective modeling to occurAttention the person must pay attention to the modelRetention the observer must the able to remember the behaviorMotor reproduction the ability to replicate the behaviorMotivation learner must want to demonstrate what they have learnedEffects of modeling on behaviorModeling teaches new behavior.Modeling influences the frequency of previously learned behaviors.Modeling may encourage previously forbidden behavior.Modeling increases the frequency of similar behavior.Educational implications of social learning theoryStudents often learn a great deal simply by observing other people.Describing the consequences of behavior can effectively increase the appropriate behaviors and decrease inappropriate ones.Modeling provides an alternative to shaping for teaching new behaviors.Teachers and parents must model appropriate behaviors.Teachers should expose students to a variety of other models.