NEO BEHAVIORISM:

Tolman and Bandura

 INTRODUCTION
With new researches, explanations provided but the basic
principles of behaviorism appeared not satisfy all learning
scenarios. New theories came into view which maintained
some of the behaviorist concepts but excluded others, and
added new ideas which later came to be associated with the
cognitive views of learning. The neo- behaviorists, then,
were a transitional group, bridging the gap behaviorism and
cognitive theories of learning.

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 NEO
BEHAVIORISM
 Is a behavior cannot be fully understood simply in terms
of observable stimuli and reaction.
 Neo behaviorism introduce mediating variables into the
behaviorist stimulus- response scheme.
 SOLVE THE MAZE
A B

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 ✘They create Mental Maps of
things it perceived.
✘To respond with Trial and Error
(Behaviorist) must later on their
response becomes more
internally driven (Cognitive
Process).
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 NEO BEHAVIORISM

Edward Tolman’s Albert Bandura’s

Purposive Behaviorism Social Learning Theory

Goal- Directedness Principle

Cognitive Maps Modeling

Latent Learning Four Conditions for

effective Modeling

Intervening Variables
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Edward Tolman
  was an American psychologist and a professor
of psychology.
 Tolman would selectively breed rats for the
ability to learn the mazes he constructed. 
 Tolman's study was the first experiment to
examine the genetic basis of maze learning by
breeding distinct lineages of rats selected for
their maze performance.
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 Tolman’s Purposive Behaviorism

✘ AKA “The Sign Learning

Theory”
✘ Learning is a Cognitive Process
✘ Learning is acquired through
meaningful behavior.

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“ The stimuli which are allowed in are not connected by
just simple one-to-one switches to the outgoing
responses. Rather the incoming impulses are usually
worked over and elaborated in the central control room
into a tentative cognitive like map of the environment.”

 A new stimulus ( the sign) becomes associated with

already meaningful stimuli (the significant) through a
series of pairings; there was no need for reinforcement
in order to establish learning.
 Tolman’s Key Concepts

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1. Learning is always purposive and goal-directed

 Individual do more merely respond to stimuli;

they act on beliefs, attitude, changing
conditions, and strives towards the goal.
 LEARNING IS ALWAYS PURPOSIVE AND
GOAL-DIRECTED

When an animal is learning a maze, or escaping from a

puzzle box, or merely going about his daily business
of eating nest building, sleeping and the like, it will be
noted that in all such performance

Application
States goal clearly and specifically, clear object and
direction for a better result.
 REWARD EXPECTANCY
1. Learning is a Goal- Oriented and a person
always expect some gain or reward for his
effort.
2. Not getting reward may be lead to
disappointment and low efficiency of work.
2. Cognitive Maps
Famous experiment on rats concluded that Organism or Individual
to be exact learned the location and will select the shortest or
easiest path to achieve goal.

Ex. Going to school everyday.

 3. Latent Learning
 Learning that remains or stays with the individual until
needed.
 Learning that is outwardly manifested at once.

Ex. A 2 yr. old handling remote for the first time.

 4. The Concept of Intervening Variable
 Variables that are not readily seen but serves as determinants of behavior.
 Learning is mediated or influenced by expectations, perceptions,
representations, needs and other internal or environmental variables.

Ex. Experiment on Rats - Hunger

 Tolman’s Experiment on Rat
Aim
To demonstrate that rats could make navigational decisions based on knowledge of the
environment, rather than their directional choices simply being dictated by the effects of
rewards

Procedure Group 1: Rewarded

In their study 3 groups of rats had to find their
way around a complex maze. At the end of the
maze there was a food box. Some groups of rats
got to eat the food, some did not, and for some
rats the food was only available after 10 days.
Day 1 – 17: Every time they got to end, given
food (i.e. reinforced).
Group 2: Delayed Reward
Day 1 - 10: Every time they got to end, taken out.
Day 11 -17: Every time they got to end, given
food (i.e. reinforced).
Group 3: No reward
Day 1 – 17: Every time they got to end, taken out.
Reinforcement is not essential for learning, although
it provides an incentive for performance.

Ex. Rats acquired knowledge of the way through maze

in the absence of reinforcement.
 ALBERT BANDURA
✘ Was known for his Social Learning Theory
✘ Bandura asserts that most human behavior
is learned through observation, imitation
and modeling.

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SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY
✘ Also called Observational Learning.
✘ Theory that emphasizes learning through observation of
others.
✘ Social learning theory can be considered a bridge or a
transition between behaviorist learning theories and
cognitive learning theories.
OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING

• Children observe the people around them

behaving in a various way.

Models- Individual that are observed.

Ex. Parents, Teachers, friends in peer group
and in social media.
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 FOUR MEDIATIONAL
PROCESS

1 2 3 4

ATTENTION RETENTIO REPRODUCTI MOTIVATIO

N ON N

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 Attention
If an organism is going to learn anything from a
model, he or she must be paying attention to it and
the behavior it exhibits. 

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 RETENTION
The second requirement of observational learning is
being able to remember the behavior that was
witnessed. If the human or animal does not remember
the behavior, there is a less than probable chance that
they will imitate it.

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 REPRODUCTION
This requisite of behavior concerns the
physical and mental ability of the
individual to copy the behavior he or
she observed.

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 MOTIVATION
The most important aspect of observational
learning involves motivation. If the human or
animal does not have a reason for imitating the
behavior, then no amount of attention, retention,
or reproduction

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SOCIAL LEARNING
APPROACH
Takes two processes into account and
acknowledge the role that they play in
deciding if a behavior is to be imitated
or not.

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 IMPLICATIONS OF SOCIAL LEARNING
THEORY ON TEACHERS AND STUDENTS
LEARNING

These theory can be used to teach positive behaviors to students,

teachers can use positive role models to increased desired behaviors
and thus change the culture of the school.

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In Conclusion, OBSERVATION plays a very
powerful role in Learning. It does not only
help to teach students but helps to them
successfully UNDERSTAND, RETAIN and
APPLY their learning to their lives so that
they can learn and achieve even more.

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