Question

What learning theory is teaching someone how to dance?

Answer 1

Teaching someone how to dance is a example of Bandura - Social Learning Theory.

• In social learning theory , Albert Bandura agrees with the behaviorists learning theories of Classcal Conditioning & Operant Conditioning. He provided two important aspects :

1. Mediating processes occur between stimuli and responses.
2. Behavior is learned from the environment through the process of Observational learning.

Bandura's Social learning theory is sometimes seen as a bridge between cognitive and behavioral theories because it encompasses attention , memory and motivation. It focuses on how mental (Cognitive) factors are involved in learning.

• Bandura developed his theory in part by conducting Bobo doll experiment in which Bandura included an adult who is tasked to act aggressively toward a Bobo Doll while the children observe him. Here is the link of the video for more clearity : https://youth.be/dmBqwWIJg8U
• As per Bandura children observe the people around them behaving in various ways. Individuals that are observed are called models. In society, children are surrounded by many influential models, such as parents, teachers, friends. These models provide examples of behavior to observe and imitate.
• Children pay attention to some of these models and encode their behavior. People around the child will respond to the behavior it imitates with either reinforcement or punishment. If consequences are rewarding child is likely to continue performing the behavior.
• In our example to teach someone dance in this process these mental factors mediate in the learning process to determine whether a new response is acquired.
• Please find below picture of behaviorists model and cognitive model :
• 
• There are four mediational processes proposed by Bandura :

1. Attention : For learning dance , attention is extremely important to observe or learn new things, movements.
2. Retention: How well the behavior is remembered . It is important that a memory of the behavior is formed to be performed later. Eg. Dance steps, expression etc
3. Reproduction: This is the ability to perform the behavior that the model has demonstrated.
4. Motivation: The will to perform a behavior. Sometimes the reward and punishment need to use that follow a behavior will be considered by the observer.