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Question

Which theory and theorist are associated with learning through observation?

This question was previously asked in
UGC NET 2022 Paper 1 Question Paper (22-Oct-2022) (Shift 2)
The correct answer is

Social cognitive theory, Bandura

Concept: The question asks which theory-theorist pair explains learning by watching others.

Learning through observation, imitation and modelling is the core idea of the Social Cognitive Theory proposed by Albert Bandura. His famous Bobo doll experiment (1961) showed that children who watched an adult behave aggressively towards a doll later imitated that behaviour, even without receiving any direct reward - demonstrating that learning can occur purely by observing a model. Key processes he identified are attention, retention, reproduction and motivation. This is also called observational or vicarious learning.

Why the other options are wrong:
Behaviourist theory, Skinner - explains learning through operant conditioning, i.e. reinforcement and punishment of a learner's own responses, not through watching others.
Constructivist theory, Piaget - focuses on how children actively construct knowledge by passing through fixed stages of cognitive development.
Socio-cultural theory, Vygotsky - stresses language, culture and the zone of proximal development through interaction with more knowledgeable others, but it is not specifically the theory of learning by observation.

Takeaway: Observation + imitation + Bobo doll = Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory.
Correct answer: Social cognitive theory, Bandura

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