Bibliography of Psychologist Albert Bandura

Running head: BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ALBERT BANDURA 1
BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ALBERT BANDURA 3

Bibliography of Albert Bandura
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Bibliography of Albert Bandura
Born on 4th December 1925 in Alberta, Canada, Albert Bandura serves among the most influential social cognitive psychologists mostly recognized for his social learning concept (Gale, 2016). His early life in the town of Mundare was influenced by his parents as a result of their hard work. Bandura’s parents despite having limited resources sent him to school where he was educated up to the higher education levels. After his first graduation, Bandura worked in various institutes as he continued with his quest for knowledge and earned a master’s degree in 1952. His desire for knowledge was evidenced further after he earned his Ph.D. in 1952.
Bandura’s contribution to the field of psychology is mostly depicted after he earned his Ph.D. and gained a position at Stanford University where he continues to work until today (Stanford University, 2015). As he was studying issues of adolescent aggression, Bandura developed significant interest in modeling, imitation as well as vicarious learning. As a result, he developed the social learning theory that stressed on the significance of modeling, imitation and observational learning. Bandura asserted that learning had the ability of becoming exceedingly laborious if individuals relied solely on the effects of personal actions to inform them how to act. In order to ascertain his assertions, Bandura conducted the Bobo doll study in 1961. In the experiment, Bandura made a film that depicted an adult model beating up a Bobo doll and at the same time shouting aggressive worlds. After the film was complete, a group of children watched it. Later on, the children were given an opportunity to play in a room that had a Bobo doll (Condino and Krapp, 2004). The children that had watched the film with violent model most likely beat the doll and equally imitated the actions and words heard from the adult clip. The response by the children serves as vicarious learning where people learn by imitation as opposed to direct reinforcement.
Bandura further notes the social influences that happen in learning and also offers a distinction between performance and learning, something that behaviorists failed to provide. As such, Bandura describes learning as an acquisition of some symbolic representations that plays a significant role in guiding a person’s behavior in the future (Evans and Bandura, 2009). The experiment and consequent actions of the children that watched the adult video served as a significant indicator of learning through limitation.
The experiment and the theory developed by Albert Bandura played a significant role in influencing the other psychologists that came after Bandura developed his theory. That resulted from the fact that Bandura’s theory departed from the behaviorism perspective that attributed behaviors as directed by rewards or reinforcement. For the children to beat up the doll, the relied on no reinforcements neither were they rewarded. The children were just imitating the behavior that they had observed after watching the video where an adult was beating the doll. Bandura attributed the phenomenon as observational learning that happens through attention, reciprocation together with retention as well as motivation (Cherry, 2016). Other psychologists that came after Bandura developed the social learning theory have relied significantly on his concept in understanding the behavior of persons and groups. One area where the social learning theory has proved important is in the field of criminal justice where psychologists use the theory in studying criminal behaviors and the reasons that drive individuals to engage in crime.

References
Cherry, K. (2016, June 14). Albert Bandura Biography: His Life, Work and Theories. Retrieved from https://www.verywell.com/albert-bandura-biography-1925-2795537
Condino, M., & Krapp, K. (2004). Psychologists and Their Theories For Students. Farmington Hills: Gale, Cengage Learning.
Evans, R. I., & Bandura, A. (2009). Albert Bandura, the man and his ideas–a dialogue. New York: Praeger.
Gale, C. L. (2016). A Study Guide for Psychologists and Their Theories for Students. Farmington Hills: Gale, Cengage Learning.
Stanford University. (2015). Albert Bandura Biographical Sketch. Retrieved from http://stanford.edu/dept/psychology/bandura/bandura-bio-pajares/Albert%20_Bandura%20_Biographical_Sketch.html