THEORIES OF SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE (SOWK
351)
GROUP WORK
GROUP C PRESENTATION
• TOPICS: BEHAVIOURISM
Classical Behaviorism
Social Learning Theory
Bandura’s Cognitive Response Theory
PRESENTATION OBJECTIVES
• At the end of this presentation, you will be able to;
Understand the meaning of behaviorism
Explain the key concept in behaviorism.
Explain Social learning theory and how to use it to understand a
client’s behavior in social work practice session.
Understand Bandura’s Cognitive response theory.
BEHAVIOURISM
• Behaviourism is a theory of learning based on the idea that all
behaviours are acquired through conditioning.
• Conditions occurs through interaction with the environment.
• Behaviourists believe that our responses to environmental stimuli
shape our actions.
• According to this school of thought, behaviour can be studied in a
systematic and observable manner regardless of internal mental
states.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF BEHAVIORISM.
• Behaviorism was formally established with 1913 publication of John B.
Watson’s classic paper, “Psychology as the Behaviorist Views It”.
• Any person, regardless of his or her background, can be trained to act
in a particular manner given the right condition.
• Simply put, strict behaviorists believe that all behaviors are the result
of experience.
KEY CONCEPTS
• Behavioural theories are primarily interested in learning.
• Human beings are seen as having multiple processes of acquiring or
changing behaviours.
• Two primary processes through whcih learning occurs are;
• Classical conditioning
• Operant condtioning
KEY CONCEPTS CONT’D
• Classical conditioning emphasizes learning that occurs on the basis of
association, when a naturally satisfying stimulus is paired with a
neutral stimulus.
• Eventually, the natural stimulus comes to evoke the same response as
the naturally occurring stimulus, even without the naturally stimulus
presenting itself.
• Here, the associated stimulus becomes known as the conditioned
stimulus and the learned behavior is known as the conditioned
response.
KEY CONCEPTS CONT’D
• Operant conditioning (sometimes referred to as instrumental
conditioning) is a method of learning that occurs through
reinforcement and punishments. (B.F Skinner)
• Through operant conditioning, an association is made between a
behaviour and a consequence for that behaviour.
SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY.
• Social learning theory stipulates that people can learn new behaviours
by observing others.
• Earlier learning theories emphasized how people behave in response
to environmental stimuli, such as physical rewards or punishment.
• In contrast, social learning emphasizes the reciprocal relationships
between social characteristics of the environment, how they
perceived by individuals and how they are motivated and able a
person is to reproduce behaviours they see happening around them.
SOCIAL LEARNING THEORIES
CONT’D
• According to social learning theory, people learn by:
Observing what people do.
Considering the apparent consequences experienced by those
people.
Rehearsing (at first mentally) what might happen in their own lives if
they followed the other peoples’ behaviour.
Taking action by trying the behaviour themselves.
Comparing their experiences with what happened to other people.
Confirming their belief in new behavior.
SOCIAL LEARNING THEORIES
CONT’D
SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY CONT’D
• This theory is based on the idea that we learn with others in a social
context.
• Separately, by observing the behavior of others,people develop
similar behavior.
• After observing the behavior of others, people assimilate,and imitate
that behavior, especially if their observational experiences are
positive ones or include rewards related to the observed behaviour
• According to Bandura, imitation involves the actual reproduction of
observed motor activities. (Bandura 1977).
WHEN SHOULD SOCIAL LEARNING
THEORY BE USED.
• It may be useful when a particular behaviour is difficult to describe,
but can be explained through demonstrating or modeling.
• When adopting or practicing a particular behaviour requires
overcoming barriers or challenges, social learning principles can be
used to demonstrate how a person can overcome those challenges
and succeed.
• Can be used to change perceptions of the social environment.
WHAT SHOULD IMPLEMENTERS
KNOW.
• The most important concepts of social learning theory are modelling
and efficacy.
• Modeling refers to the use of messages that show someone (a real
person or an actor) performing a desirable behaviour.
• Observational learning from a model requires four cognitive stages:
attention, retention, reproduction and motivation.
Attention: Individuals must be paying attention to the model
Retention: Individuals must be able to ‘store’ new information about
the modeled behaviour and review it later.
Reproduction: Individuals have to re-enact the new behaviour in order
to practice and master it themselves.
Cont’d
Motivation: For reproduction of the behavior to be successful,
individuals need to be properly motivated to perform it themselves.
• Efficacy describes a feeling of personal empowerment or confidence
in one’s ability to perform a particular behavior.
• Efficacy increases with experience, either direct personal experience
or a vicarious experience.
• Vicarious experience can be gained by observing the success or failure
of real people or by becoming cognitively and emotionally involved
with models who succeed.
BANDURA’S COGNITIVE RESPONSE
THEORY.
• Social Cognitive theory which has come out on ideas that people
learn by watching what others do, and that human thoughts
processes are central to understanding personality.
• By the mid- 1980s, Bandura’s research had taken a more holistic bent,
and his analyses tended towards giving a more comprehensive
overview of human cognition in the context of social learning.
• The theory he expanded from social learning theory became known
as social cognitive theory (Bandura 1999).
• This theory provides a framework for understanding, predicting and
changing human behavior. (Green & Peil,2009)
References:
• Bandura, A (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory behavioral
change.
• Health Community Capacity Collaborative: Social Learning Theory, An
HC3 Research Primer.
• Razeih Tadayon Nabavi; Bandura’s Social Learning Theory & Social
Cognitive Response Theory.
END OF PRESENTATION
THANK YOU.
