You have observed your friend Kyle have great success in his relationship because he is very thoughtful. For example, he brings flowers for no reason and he offers foot-rubs when he knows that his partner is stressed. You know that these behaviours would be beneficial in your own relationship, because you've seen how rewarding it is for Kyle, and yet you do not actually employ these strategies. As a result, your relationship is in trouble. What would Albert Bandura suggest about this situation?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Albert Bandura's social learning theory, there is a difference between acquisition of learning (when we observe and learn a new behavior) and performance (when we actually display the learned behavior). In this situation, the person has acquired the learning by observing Kyle's behavior, but they are not performing it in their own relationship. Therefore, Bandura would suggest that the issue is with performance rather than acquisition.

You Have Observed Your Friend Kyle Have Great Success in His