Middle East Technical University
Department of Early Childhood Education
Albert Bandura
Social Cognitive Theory
Theorist Paper
ECE 503 ADVANCED CHILD THEORY
Instructor: Assist. Prof. Dr. Feyza ERDEN
Ümit Ünsal KAYA
120949-3
June 8th, 2009
INTRODUCTION
Albert Bandura is a psychologist specializing in social cognitive theory and self-efficacy. Albert Bandura is widely regarded as the greatest living psychologist. As the originator of social cognitive theory, he helped shift the emphasis of psychology away from psychodynamic and classic behaviorist perspectives.
His theory, initially named as social learning theory, has been influencing many researchers in the field. The theory simply emphasizes another aspect of learning which is simply by imitating. The social learning theory is the behavior theory most relevant to criminology. Albert Bandura believed that aggression is learned through a process called behavior modeling. He believed that individuals do not actually inherit violent tendencies, but they modeled them after three principles (Bandura, 1976: p.204). Albert Bandura argued that individuals, especially children learn aggressive responses from observing others, either personally or through the media and environment. He stated that many individuals believed that aggression will produce reinforcements. These reinforcements can formulate into reduction of tension, gaining financial rewards, or gaining the praise of others, or building self-esteem (Siegel, 1992: p.171). In this sense, Albert Bandura believes that television is a source of behavior modeling. Learning by modeling involuntarily can come into effect even while watching TV commercials. Today, unfortunately, films and television shows illustrate violence graphically. Violence is often expressed as an acceptable behavior, especially for heroes who have never been punished in cartoons even appearing on TRT 4 Çocuk which is a TV channel under the auspices of the...