Social Learning Theory, as introduced by theorist Albert Bandura in nineteen seventy-seven, regards the concepts of both monitoring the reactions between various stimulus and the concept that behaviors are learned from the surrounding environment and its various components. From early childhood call and response between parent and child, to the classroom, training room and place of business, there are endless opportunities for an individual to learn from his surroundings and the wealth of knowledge and wisdom that could be gained. As educators, both positive reinforcement and mediation would be needed. There are four concepts to be aware of regarding this process of reinforcement and mediation. The first is attention.  This regards the extent to which the exposure to new stimulus excites interest in the subjects. The next is the concept of retention. In other words, how well is the behavior or training method remembered? The reaction to the stimulus may be actively observed, but is it not always remembered which prevents imitation. The next concept is the reproduction. This is the ability of the subject to perform the behavior that the model has demonstrated. The final concept, inclusive of Bandura’s theory, is motivation. This would be demonstrated by the level of enthusiasm and then precision the subject would now perform said behaviors (McLeod, published 2011, updated 2016).

Reference:McLeod, S. (published 2011, updated 2016). Bandura - Social Learning Theory. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org: http://www.simplypsychology.org/bandura.html