AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -The most important similarity between the two presented theories is the presence of the external stimuli and the influence of the environment on the learning process. Both approaches imply that the student will react to the actions or words of a third person who will have some authority in the student’s eyes.

Detailed explanation-2: -In contrast to Skinner’s idea that the environment alone determines behavior, Bandura (1990) proposed the concept of reciprocal determinism, in which cognitive processes, behavior, and context all interact, each factor influencing and being influenced by the others simultaneously ([link]).

Detailed explanation-3: -Unlike Skinner, Bandura (1977) believes that humans are active information processors and think about the relationship between their behavior and its consequences. Observational learning could not occur unless cognitive processes were at work.

Detailed explanation-4: -In his operant conditioning experiments, Skinner often used an approach called shaping . Instead of rewarding only the target behavior, in shaping, we reward successive approximations of a target behavior. For instance, parents can break a task into smaller more “attainable” steps.