Influencing Factors

Observer Characteristics: individuals with low self esteem and low self confidence are especially prone to adopting behavior of  models.  This may explain much adolescent behavior.  Adolescence, being a time of confusion, change, and ambivalence, is also a time where many individuals experience low self confidance and low esteem.  Unsure of their place, teens search for models.  One group of models that appeals to this age cohort are musicians.  Therefore, teens imitate the hair style, clothing, and perceived behavioral excesses of their favorite musicians.

An exception to this general rule applies to individuals who are trying to develop specific behavioral competencies.  In this case, the most talented and venturesome learners are most likely to follow specific models.  Here, an example might be an adolescent who wants to improve his/her golf game. This teen may choose a specific model (Tiger Woods?) to follow hoping to improve their own performance through imitation.

This leaves a class of teens who are relatively self-confidant, and not excelling in any particular area (and not trying to excel), are more likely to find their own way.  Some would argue that this is the majority of teens, the quiet and persistent group who are larely ignored by the media.

I personaly would argue that such a group is actually quite small.  The largest group, in spite of clothing fads, disparate music, and occassional rebellious acts, use their parents, teachers, and other personally known adults as models.  This is supported by research that indicates by early adulthood, most individuals share a common set of values, political and religious beliefs, and worldview with one or both parents.  Because their behavior and value system is not outside of generally accepted societal norms, we tend to ignore or discount the impact of models.  If the social learning theorists are right, the impact remains, because this is how everyone learns!



Consequences: perceived consequences of an action are one factor which influences learning and is described as a facilitating condition.  In Operant conditioning, consequences (or reinforcement) is seen as a necessary condition.  Another difference is that in operant conditioning, only reinforcement that impinges directly on the performer of the response is seen as important.  Social cogntiive theory includes:

    1. Direct reinforcement
    2. Self-reinforcement- related to personal performance standards
    3. Vicarious reinforcement- associated with observation of others;  bells and whistles
        on a slot machine or testimonials of Publisher Clearing House Winners are both examples
        of vicarious reinforcement.
    4. Vicarious punishment is a consequence that devalues the model.  If punishment is not
        forthcoming, the observer may perceive a tacit acceptance of the behavior which may
        result in an increase of transgressions.  This model then argues for swift and strong
        responses to transgressions of rules.



Learner's cognitive process:  the individual's cognitive processing of events and potential consequences that can be identified bridges the gap between behavior and outcomes of that behavior. As an example, individuals can consider the possibility that a hurricane may strike southwest Florida.  In that consideration, they can understand the potential damage to their home.  In an attempt to mediate the potential consequence, they choose to purchase homeowners insurance.  There are four component processes:
 
    1. Attentional processes:  new behavior must be attended to and accurately perceived. Before any change is made, the homeowner must consider potential scenarios and potential outcomes.  The relevance of the behavior is important to gain attention.  Individuals who rent their home will not attend to advertisements for homeowners insurance.  Other important individuals characteristics include arousal level (has the individual experienced a hricane in the past?  Is there a hurricane threatening the coast at present?), observational skills (will they notice what others are doing?), past performance (have they ever purchased any kind of insurance before?), sensory capacities (are they overwhelmed with worry and unable to attend to the world around them?).

2. Retention Processes: the symbolic coding of the behavior into visual or verbal codes and the storage of the codes.  The ability to encode information is influenced by a variety of factors.  This includes, among others, intelligence, culture (remember Vygotsky), and developmental level (remember Piaget).

3. Motor reproduction processes: particularly important with learning motor skills, can the individual reproduce the behavior observed?

4. Motivational Processes: anticipation of reinforcement for a particular behavior motivates the observer's performance.



 

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