Social Learning Approach Case Study

Behavioral/Social Learning Approach The Behavioral/Social Learning Approach was brought to light with the help of three key theorists. Those key theorists are John Watson, E. L. Thorndike, and B. F. Skinner. To sum up the thoughts between these three key theorists, they all believed in the theory that a person’s personality is sculpted through life lessons. Meaning that the Behavioral/Social Learning Approach denotes all behavior as a learned experience. This approach contains multiple key concepts, which allow for all psychologists to use as a guide when psychoanalyzing a person. In this case I will be using these concepts to understand Steve. Steve’s physical background is of Italian-American descent and he is a 38 year old unattached
The first and main example we are given of this, is when he is on a date with a woman he has just met. Steve has taken her to a very romantic candle lit dinner. He is using all the charm he has to woo this woman into believing in this false ego he has. Steve has done all this in the belief that if he executes all of his behaviors properly, he will be rewarded with sex at the end of the night. He believes that because of his actions, he is in control of the outcome. So he has taken her to this restaurant to be in-control of the set atmosphere and mood that he is trying to set with this particular women. He has done so, for he believes that these types of restaurants play in his favor towards women for, we can assume, that in the past he has been rewarded with sex. Another belief he has is that he can get any woman he desires, treating them how he does every other woman he has slept with. Psychologists would also refer to this as the power of expectancy. Steve thinks that he is in control of the situational outcome by setting the environment and charming the
He was raised without a father, or a masculine role model in his life. So he had to create his own persona of how a man is supposed to act and how to properly treat a woman. Steve was never given the proper conditioning a child is supposed to receive from either/both parents. Therefor he has learned by observation that a strained relationship, which is only physical was the way in which he should live his life. His mother only cared for his physical needs, so throughout his teenage, young adult years, and to the adult he is now all he needs to satisfy him is physical needs. So overall, Steve ranks high on the neurotic and aggression scales. He is also a man who has a false idea of masculinity, which he also ranks high in. His self-efficacy seems to be working for him, however it is not the proper lifestyle which a fully functioning human should be living. In conclusion I believe that if Steve does not realize the repercussions of his actions soon, he will live a long and lonely life that will in the end not give him the proper emotionally stability which he desperately