Social Learning Theory

Since the advent of television there has been growing concern about the apparent effects of violence on the attitudes, values and behaviors of children. Much of the research has focused on the effects of violence on television and aggression expressed by children. Some researchers and theorists believe that violence on television is linked to human aggression while I do not believe a conclusive body of evidence exists to justify this view. The debate surrounding whether violence on television influences children’s aggressive behavior has typically occurred within a social learning framework.

Social learning theory explains human behavior in terms of continuous reciprocal interaction between cognitive, behavioral and environmental influences of the individual. A prominent proponent of social learning theory is Albert Bandura. The social learning theory of Bandura emphasizes the importance of observing and modeling the behaviors, attitudes, and emotional reactions of oth...