Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory (1977) revolutionized psychology by emphasizing that learning occurs in a social context through observation, imitation, and modeling. He argued that individuals do not solely learn through direct reinforcement (as behaviorism suggests) but also by observing others, processing information cognitively, and making choices based on expected outcomes.

Learning happens by watching others and imitating their behavior, even without direct reinforcement.

Example: A child learns aggression by observing an aggressive adult (c.f. "The Bobo Doll Experiment")

Attention: The learner must focus on the model’s behavior.

Retention: The behavior must be stored in memory for later retrieval.

Reproduction: The learner must have the ability to replicate the behavior.

Motivation: There must be an incentive to imitate the behavior (e.g., rewards, social acceptance).

Vicarious means experiencing something indirectly, through someone else, rather than firsthand. It comes from the Latin vicarius, meaning "substitute" or "acting in place of another."

Individuals learn by observing others being rewarded or punished for a behavior.

Example: A student is more likely to participate in class if they see a peer receiving praise for doing so.

Behavior, cognition, and the environment interact in a dynamic way.

Example: A student’s shyness (personal factor) affects classroom participation (behavior), which in turn shapes peer interactions (environment).