Social Learning Theory

Main Concepts

Social learning theory belongs to the cluster of psychological theories that attempt to explain human behavior in terms of social psychological processes. In contrast to biological and social structural theories, psychological theories consider human behavior as resulting from psychological processes within the individual in conjunction with socialization. Psychological theories are generally thought to include psychoanalytic theory, personality theory, and social learning theory, each with its own focus. Social learning theory differs from its counterparts, given that it focuses on socialization, especially interaction among humans in a social context, to explain human behavior.

Social learning theory was proposed as an alternative to contemporaneous theories that stressed psychoanalysis and personality and sought to acknowledge the influence of the social context along with individual characteristics in shaping human behavior. The theory has evolved, but its basic premise that the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral aspects of human behavior stem from experiences involving reinforcement, modeling, and imitation during the formative years remains the same. The development of personality characteristics along with skills related to academics, sports, or arts emerge from learning experiences in the context of culture and social structure. When proposed, the theory was enthusiastically received, and it has continued to influence a variety of behavior analysts in spite of some later misgivings.

Social learning theory was eventually modified and applied to deviant behavior, begetting social learning theory of deviance. Deviant behavior is any behavior that deviates from the norm, the standard as to how humans should think and act in given circumstances. Behavior that conforms to the norms would constitute nondeviant behavior. The chief precepts of social learning theory of deviance are the following: Deviant behavior is learned during the course of socialization, the process by which humans acquire the skills to live in society; as a product of learning, deviance precludes being influenced by anything innate; the learning process is essentially the same for deviant and conforming behavior; the major difference between the two has to do with the direction and content of what is being learned.

Deviance is always seen in reference to norms as it depends on the latter. Norms vary considerably from society to society, group to group, and person to person. Norms present in a religious monastery or a nudist colony are likely to be different in terms of content, acceptance, enforcement, and adherence. Likewise, what is considered deviant would differ along similar lines. Any theory attempting to explain deviance would have to account for this relative nature of norms and deviance, and social learning theory of deviance, with its focus on socialization, is poised to do just that.

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