Who formulated social learning theory?

Who formulated social learning theory?

• A. Rogers
• B. Ellis
• C. Bandura
• D. Skinner

Answer: (C)

Social learning theory centers on learning through observing others, modeling their behavior, and noticing the outcomes of those behaviors, with cognition playing a key role in how we process and adopt what we see. Albert Bandura formulated this approach, emphasizing that people can learn new actions by watching others and then imitate them, even without direct reinforcement. He later expanded the framework into social cognitive theory, which includes how attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation shape learning, and adds the important idea of self-efficacy—the belief in one’s own ability to succeed. This perspective also supports practical counseling techniques like role-playing, modeling desired behaviors, and building clients’ confidence to change. Other well-known figures contribute different theories—Rogers with person-centered therapy, Ellis with rational-emotive behavior therapy, and Skinner with operant conditioning—but they did not originate social learning theory.

Social learning theory centers on learning through observing others, modeling their behavior, and noticing the outcomes of those behaviors, with cognition playing a key role in how we process and adopt what we see. Albert Bandura formulated this approach, emphasizing that people can learn new actions by watching others and then imitate them, even without direct reinforcement. He later expanded the framework into social cognitive theory, which includes how attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation shape learning, and adds the important idea of self-efficacy—the belief in one’s own ability to succeed. This perspective also supports practical counseling techniques like role-playing, modeling desired behaviors, and building clients’ confidence to change. Other well-known figures contribute different theories—Rogers with person-centered therapy, Ellis with rational-emotive behavior therapy, and Skinner with operant conditioning—but they did not originate social learning theory.