Social Learning Model of Addictive Behaviors

History of the Social Learning Model

The social learning model was pioneered by Albert Bandura in books published in 1969, 1977, and 1986. Bandura laid out a theory of learning that involved behavior, influences of the environment, and cognitive processes. Bandura suggested that cognitions act to mediate environmental events and patterns of behaviors and thus play a key role in determining overt behaviors. He argued for the importance of cognitive processes and placed greater emphasis on the individual than the environment in determining behavior. In his 1969 book, Bandura argued that alcohol use is learned in a social context and is negatively reinforced through pharmacological consequences of stress reduction. According to Bandura's social learning model of addictive behaviors, alcohol use may become problematic if, under conditions of stress, alcohol use prevails over more constructive forms of coping behaviors.

Since Bandura's initial presentation of the social learning model and its application to substance use, a number of models utilizing its components to explain addictive behaviors and disorders have been developed. Some applications have taken the form of developing a broad theoretical understanding of the addiction process. In addition, more focused models, also drawing from Bandura's conceptual framework, have been developed to understand key parts of addictive disorders, and to identify domains that may be particularly important for clinical intervention.

Learning through Experience

The social learning model utilizes operant conditioning principles to explain learning by direct experience. According to social learning theory, response consequences, including both reinforcement and punishment, provide information to an individual that contributes to the evolution of behaviors. Similarly, that information may also provide motivational influences as individuals develop expectations of behavioral outcomes. Through the process of learning via response consequences, behaviors that are successful are selected and those that are unsuccessful are discarded. These processes can occur both consciously and unconsciously and automatically or with volitional effort. As applied within the social learning model of addictive behaviors, alcohol and drug use behaviors that are reinforced by positive consequences (e.g., pleasurable feelings of intoxication) may consequently increase in frequency, whereas substance use behaviors like abstinence that are punished (e.g., via withdrawal symptoms) may decrease in frequency.

Learning through Modeling

Learning can also occur indirectly through modeling, also called vicarious learning. Indeed, learning via modeling is less labor intensive, as it does not require direct experience. According to social learning theory, four component conditions are necessary for vicarious learning to occur: attention to the behavior being modeled, retention of observed information, motor reproduction, and motivation to engage in the learned behavior.

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