Understanding how our surroundings affect how we act is a really interesting part of psychology. Two important ideas in this area are Behaviorism and Social Learning Theory.
Both of these theories think the environment matters, but they each have different ways of explaining it.
How We Learn:
Behaviorism is linked to people like B.F. Skinner and John Watson. This theory says our actions come from outside factors and what happens around us. It argues that we can change our behavior by using rewards and punishments. For example, if a child gets praised (a good reward) for cleaning their room, they are more likely to clean it again.
On the other hand, Social Learning Theory, created by Albert Bandura, talks about learning by watching others. This theory says we can pick up new behaviors just by seeing what other people do. For instance, if a child sees their sibling getting a treat for cleaning their room, they might do the same thing, even if no one directly rewards them.
Thinking and Learning:
Behaviorism mainly looks at what we can see and tends to ignore what’s happening in our minds. It believes we can guess how someone will behave just by looking at their surroundings.
In contrast, Social Learning Theory includes our thinking. It suggests that we think about what we see, and that affects how we learn and act. For example, someone might see what happens when a certain behavior is shown and decide whether to do it based on what they think.
Impact of Social Surroundings:
Behaviorism tends to focus on direct experiences with the environment.
Social learning, however, thinks about the bigger picture. Bandura's well-known Bobo doll experiment shows this point. Children who watched adults act violently were more likely to copy that aggression, showing us how important social situations and role models are in learning behavior.
To sum it up, both theories look at how our environment changes our behavior, but they approach it differently. Behaviorism focuses on rewards and what happens around us, while Social Learning Theory emphasizes learning through observation and our thought processes.
Understanding how our surroundings affect how we act is a really interesting part of psychology. Two important ideas in this area are Behaviorism and Social Learning Theory.
Both of these theories think the environment matters, but they each have different ways of explaining it.
How We Learn:
Behaviorism is linked to people like B.F. Skinner and John Watson. This theory says our actions come from outside factors and what happens around us. It argues that we can change our behavior by using rewards and punishments. For example, if a child gets praised (a good reward) for cleaning their room, they are more likely to clean it again.
On the other hand, Social Learning Theory, created by Albert Bandura, talks about learning by watching others. This theory says we can pick up new behaviors just by seeing what other people do. For instance, if a child sees their sibling getting a treat for cleaning their room, they might do the same thing, even if no one directly rewards them.
Thinking and Learning:
Behaviorism mainly looks at what we can see and tends to ignore what’s happening in our minds. It believes we can guess how someone will behave just by looking at their surroundings.
In contrast, Social Learning Theory includes our thinking. It suggests that we think about what we see, and that affects how we learn and act. For example, someone might see what happens when a certain behavior is shown and decide whether to do it based on what they think.
Impact of Social Surroundings:
Behaviorism tends to focus on direct experiences with the environment.
Social learning, however, thinks about the bigger picture. Bandura's well-known Bobo doll experiment shows this point. Children who watched adults act violently were more likely to copy that aggression, showing us how important social situations and role models are in learning behavior.
To sum it up, both theories look at how our environment changes our behavior, but they approach it differently. Behaviorism focuses on rewards and what happens around us, while Social Learning Theory emphasizes learning through observation and our thought processes.