Question

What modern psychological perspective focuses on how our behavior is influenced by the other people in our environment?

Answer 1

The modern psychological perspective which focuses on how our behaviour is influenced by other people in our environment is the Social Cognitive Perspective. This theory was proposed by Albert Bandura where he proposed that behaviour is learned from watching others, known as observational learning. The ones who are being observed here are known as models.

Models could be in any form, a television actor, a school senior, a family member, teacher, etc. The theory proposes that the observers observe the models and imitate their behaviour.

If this behaviour is reinforced by society, that is appreciated by peers and elders, sooner or later it becomes a part of the individual's behaviour as well. This reinforcement should however also need to be internal, that is, the individual himself or herself must be internally satisfied with the new look and ways of behaving. Behaviours which are 'rewarding' both internally and externally becomes a learning for the individual.

According to Bandura, this form of social learning takes place with four mediational processes:

1. Attention: Paying attention or noticing a behaviour

2. Retention: Remembering the behaviour

3. Reproduction: Being able to imitate and perform the behaviour that the model has demonstrated.

4. Motivation: the inner will to continue performing the behaviour till the rewards and punishments are given by the society.