“Life in the cyberworld is enhancing the primacy and
reach of symbolic modeling” (Bandura, 2011, p. 4). Thinking about this quote, are there any
cautions or problems associated with the symbolic modeling that transpires on
the Internet?
Bandura’s social cognitive theory identifies social
modeling through observational learning as a key foundation of the theory. One of the misconceptions cited is that
modeling does not facilitate learning and only allows one to mimic the example. In addition, the myths stated that modeling does
not develop cognitive skills or creative ability.
The importance of the behavior of modeling and the influence
it has on self-efficacy is illustrated in Unequal
Childhoods written by Annette Lareau.
In her longitudinal ethnographic study on race, class, and family life,
Lareau’s study involved eighty-eight children ages nine to ten years old with
twelve of the children highlighted in the book.
The participants selected represented middle-class, working-class, and
poor families. The study shows how
social class alters the organization of daily life, interactions between families
and institutions, language use, and parenting styles. Lareau identifies how social class shaped the
way parents raised their children. The
results showed that children were influenced by parenting, modeling, and
environment, and these were keys in determining the future direction (success)
of the children. The children in
middle-class families predominately went to college, graduated, and pursued
successful careers. On the other hand,
the children in working-class and poor families rarely went to college and
reported struggles in their pursuit of successful lives. According to Lareau (2011), “in America,
social class backgrounds frame and transform individuals” (p. 343).
The study by Lareau was conducted under the theoretical
understanding of Pierre Bourdieu who studied the socialization process in
relation to habitus, capital, and fields (Lareau, 2011). In looking at this study from the theoretical
lens of social cognitive theory, it demonstrate how an individual’s success may
be determined by the observational learning that transpires in the family
structure and the influence that has on an individual’s self-efficacy. Bandura (2011) states, “modeling is a
universalized human capacity. But what
is modeled, how modeling influences are structured, and the purposes it serves
varies in different cultural milieus” (p. 6).
Environments and social
systems influence human behavior through psychological mechanisms of the self
system. Hence, social cognitive theory
posits that factors such as economic conditions, socioeconomic status, and
educational and familial structures do not affect human behavior directly. Instead, they affect it to the degree that
they influence people’s aspirations, self-efficacy beliefs, personal standards,
emotional states, and other self-regulatory influences. (Pajares, 2002, para. 7)
Laureau’s research also connects with Paul Tough and his strategies on how to assist learners who have adverse childhood experiences. Tough advocates that teaching non-cognitive skills (social skills, soft skills, personality and character traits) will assist learners in their pursuit of success.
“Modeling
involves abstracting the information conveyed by specific exemplars about the
structure and the underlying principles governing the behavior rather than
simply mimicking the specific exemplars” (Bandura, 2011, p. 2). Four years ago I was asked to take over an
area at the college that was struggling and needed a different leadership approach. When I discussed this opportunity with my
mentor, I asked what I would need to do to facilitate change in this area. The advice was simple, “model the behavior
you expect.” Of course, that was not the
only thing that needed to transpire, but it is a good example of the power of
modeling. I embraced the advice and the
role of serving as a model. “Observational
learning is governed by the process of attention, retention, production, and
motivation” (Pajares, 2002, para. 11). I
invested an enormous amount of effort into serving as a coping model,
concentrated on verbal messages and social persuasions, awareness of vicarious
experiences of observing, and the power of social modeling. The result was a dramatic change in the
department.
References:
Lareau, A. (2011). Unequal childhoods: Class, race, and family life. Berkeley and Los
Angeles,
CA: University of
California Press.
Pajares, F. (2002). Overview of social cognitive theory and of self-efficacy. Retrieved from
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