Social Learning Theory Analysis

Lastly, let’s examine Eric and Dylan as it relates to the social learning theory. According to Bandura, we learn through reinforcement and social/ observational learning. However, unlike BF Skinner, John B. Watson and Ivan Pavlov, Bandura believed there was some type of a cognitive narrative taking place as we learn through others. Unlike the prior theorist we have discussed up to this point, Bandura did not differentiate between adults and children. We know that Eric and Dylan had extreme hatred towards the jocks of the school. They felt that the jocks were favored among the staff and administration. According to them, the staff was more lenient towards the “white hats” than towards them. I could imagine there was some vicarious learning accuring during this episode. I surmise that perhaps Eric and Dylan cognitively encoded that the world is unjust and unfair. With their view that their world is unjust, they may have looked back at others who retaliated against the world and gained infamy by killing others. They would discuss things like Waco, the Oklahoma City Bombing and even some other school shootings. They seem to somewhat admire them and at the same time, belittle them because they believed that those instances were not powerful enough. They also may have learned behaviors through movies and …show more content…
We can especially say this about Dylan. Dylan was the shy one, who found it difficult to make friends. He was always looking towards Eric for assurance and praise. Of course, whenever Dylan acted the part, he would receive that praise from Eric. This continuous reinforcement throughout their friendship began to shape Dylan from this depressed shy boy, to one of their movie psychopathic killers. It is as if Dylan was looking for an identity, and instead of forming his own, was trained to by Eric to be a mass