Hi Niki, This is a really interesting thread and one with considerable practical impact. I'm preparing to look at the issue of learning in SMEs and I think that it would be important to reflect these ideas. Kind regards, John ========== On 8/3/05 8:55 am, "niki lambropoulos" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > love the subject :) > we could write a paper based on a debate, couldnt we? > > > The Social Learning of Imitation was first mentioned > in 1890: Œ [learning as] a natural instinct to imitate > the actions of others‚ (W. James as sited in > Thorndike, 1898). Observational learning (or modeling) > in the form of the study on Œimitation‚ by > behaviourists such as Miller and Dollard (1941). They > were the first to include the motivational subject who > is positively reinforced for matching the rewarded > behaviour. It was then when Social Learning and > Imitation was first mentioned connected to human > behaviour as motivated by internal drives and the > observed behaviours were either reinforced or > extinguished through environmental reinforcement. > Following Aristotle, matched-dependent behaviour > occurs when the model is older, smarter or more > skilled than the imitator. Responsiveness to modelling > cues is largely determined by factors as > characteristics of the models (e.g. high status, > competence or power), the attributes of the observers > (e.g. lack of self-esteem, prone to adapt behaviours) > and the response consequences (positive or negative) > associated with matching behaviour (Bandura, > 1977:88-90). The results from these studies (Bandura & > MacDonald, 1963) were based on observer‚s emotional > arousal (modelled pain reactions). > > At that time researchers were trying to define the > field of Social Learning Theory based on the concepts > of learning by experience & observation, reciprocal > interaction, individual's behaviour and environment, > vicarious learning, modelling behaviour based on > identification and reward vs. punishment contingencies > (Rotter, 1942; Sears, 1951; Mischel, 1968). In the > 50s, a theoretical approach of historical personage > simulation was suggested by Auerbach (1953). The > significant time lapse between cause and effect, > created the passage from Social Learning Theory to > Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1986). Bandura > connected vicarious learning with the exposure to > positive and negative situations. As such vicarious > reinforcement and vicarious punishment were related to > profit from successes and mistakes of others as well > as from their own experience (1977:117-121). These > processes introduce comparative judgement processes > into the operation of reinforcement influences > (1977:123). Bandura described observational learning > as a multiprocess phenomenon. This process ˆbased > approach consisted by the following stages: > 1. attentional processes that regulate sensory > registration of modelling stimuli; > 2. retention processes that are influenced by > rehearsal operations and symbolic coding of modelled > events into easily remembered schemas; > 3. motoric reproduction processes that are concerned > with availability of component responses and the > utilisation of symbolic codes in guiding behavioural > reproduction; and > 4. incentive or motivational processes that determine > whether or not acquired responses will be activated > into overt performances. > > ***************** List information: ***************** > Remember - replies go by default to the entire list. > Access the list via the web on http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/vle.html > To unsubscribe, email [log in to unmask] with the message: leave vle ***************** List information: ***************** Remember - replies go by default to the entire list. Access the list via the web on http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/vle.html To unsubscribe, email [log in to unmask] with the message: leave vle