Chapter 17 Bandura: Social Cognitive Theory 499Several factors determine whether a person will learn from a model in any
particular situation. First, the characteristics of the model are important. People are
more likely to model high-status people rather than those of low status, competent
individuals rather than unskilled or incompetent ones, and powerful people rather
than impotent ones.
Second, the characteristics of the observer affect the likelihood of model-
ing. People who lack status, skill, or power are most likely to model. Children
model more than older people, and novices are more likely than experts to
model.
Third, the consequences of the behavior being modeled may have an effect
on the observer. The greater the value an observer places on a behavior, the more
likely the observer will acquire that behavior. Also, learning may be facilitated
when the observer views a model receiving severe punishment; for example, seeing
another person receive a severe shock from touching an electric wire teaches the
observer a valuable lesson.
Processes Governing Observational Learning
Bandura (1986) recognizes four processes that govern observational learning: atten-
tion, representation, behavioral production, and motivation.
Attention Before we can model another person, we must attend to that person.
What factors regulate attention? First, because we have more opportunities to
observe individuals with whom we frequently associate, we are most likely to
attend to these people. Second, attractive models are more likely to be observed
than unattractive ones are—popular figures on television, in sports, or in mov-
ies are often closely attended. Also, the nature of the behavior being modeled
affects our attention—we observe behavior that we think is important or valu-
able to us.
Representation In order for observation to lead to new response patterns, those
patterns must be symbolically represented in memory. Symbolic representation
need not be verbal, because some observations are retained in imagery and can be
summoned in the absence of the physical model. This process is especially impor-
tant in infancy when verbal skills are not yet developed.
Verbal coding, however, greatly speeds the process of observational learning.
With language we can verbally evaluate our behaviors and decide which ones we
wish to discard and which ones we desire to try. Verbal coding also helps us to
rehearse the behavior symbolically: that is, to tell ourselves over and over again
how we will perform the behavior once given the chance. Rehearsal can also entail
the actual performance of the modeled response, and this rehearsal aids the reten-
tion process.
Behavioral Production After attending to a model and retaining what we have
observed, we then produce the behavior. In converting cognitive representations
into appropriate actions, we must ask ourselves several questions about the behav-
ior to be modeled. First we ask, “How can I do this?” After symbolically rehears-
ing the relevant responses, we try out our new behavior. While performing, we