By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE
While many dog trainers talk about social or cognitive learning, few discuss, or use, the social-cognitive learning theory developed by Canadian psychologist, Albert Bandura. This oversight matters because understanding how animals—and humans—learn through observation, perception, internal thought processes, and social interaction is key to advancing science-based training. To appreciate the value of Bandura’s work, we must first look at the roots of cognitive and social learning theories and the psychologists who helped shape them.
From Reflexes to Reason: A Brief History
Behaviourism is a school of thought that focused exclusively on observable behaviour. Pioneers like Ivan Pavlov, John B. Watson, and B.F. Skinner argued that learning occurred through conditioning, either classical or operant. While effective in certain contexts, behaviourism ignored internal mental states, leading many psychologists to seek more comprehensive explanations of learning.
Cognitive Learning Theory: Thinking Through Learning
Cognitive learning theory emerged in the mid-20th century as a response to behaviourism’s limitations. It focuses on how the brain processes, stores, and uses information, highlighting the learner’s active role in making sense of experiences.
Jean Piaget (1896–1980), a Swiss developmental psychologist, proposed that children progress through four stages of cognitive development. He introduced the idea of schemas—mental structures that help us interpret the world—and processes like assimilation and accommodation. His developmental stages are sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational.
“Piaget believed that children take an active role in the learning process, acting much like little scientists as they perform experiments, make observations, and learn about the world. As kids interact with the world around them, they continually add new knowledge, build upon existing knowledge, and adapt previously held ideas to accommodate new information.” (Cherry, 2024).
Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory: Learning in Context
Lev Vygotsky (1896–1934) argued that cognitive development is deeply embedded in social interaction and cultural context. His Sociocultural Theory emphasized that learning is a collaborative process shaped by language, relationships, and society.
Vygotsky’s key concepts were the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), More Knowledgeable Other (MKO), Scaffolding, and Internalisation. Vygotsky’s work laid the groundwork for understanding how social environments influence learning and how knowledge is co-constructed through social and cultural interaction.
Bowlby’s Attachment Theory: The Link Between Emotion and Learning
Emerging from the intersection of cognitive and social learning, John Bowlby’s (1907–1990) Attachment Theory integrates emotional development into the learning process. Bowlby argued that the quality of early social bonds, especially with a primary caregiver, plays a critical role in a child’s ability to explore, learn, and regulate emotion.
Bowlby believed attachment behaviours are biologically driven and serve a survival function, especially in young mammals. Secure attachment provides a secure base for learning—promoting curiosity, problem-solving, and resilience.
Attachment outcomes are shaped by the interaction between the child’s cognitive interpretations of the caregiver’s availability and the social cues they observe and internalize. Bowlby combined insights from ethology, psychoanalysis, Piaget’s cognitive development, and Bandura’s social learning theory to propose that children build internal models of self and others that guide their behaviour throughout life.
In animals, especially social species like dogs, attachment-like bonds to humans can influence learning just as they do in children. Secure, trusting relationships foster emotional safety, which is essential for learning through observation, problem-solving, and exploration—hallmarks of a social-cognitive approach.
Social Learning Theory: Watching and Imitating
Social learning theory emerged in the 1960s and emphasizes the importance of modelling, imitation, and observation in the learning process. Albert Bandura’s (1925–2021)
Bobo doll experiments showed how children mimic behaviours they observe, especially when those behaviours are rewarded.
Social-Cognitive Learning Theory: The Full Picture
Bandura’s later work led to social-cognitive theory, integrating attention, memory, self-regulation, reasoning, attachment, and motivation into the learning process. Learning is viewed as the result of reciprocal determinism—a continuous interaction between social (personal), cognition (behavioural), and environmental factors.
This theory is foundational for animal training models that emphasize empathy, trust, and learning from humans—especially in approaches like Social Cognitive Animal Training (SCAT).
Why It Matters in Animal Training
In dog training, a social-cognitive approach respects the animal’s emotional world and ability to learn through interaction, observation, and reasoning. It supports curiosity, confidence, and problem-solving by creating environments rooted in attachment, social support, and mental stimulation—outcomes that Bowlby, Vygotsky, and Bandura would likely all endorse.
Final Thoughts
The learning process is not just about reward and punishment; it’s about relationships, cognition, and emotional safety. When we understand the evolution of learning theories—from behaviourism to social cognitive learning—we begin to see how each contributes to a holistic, humane, and effective approach to teaching.
By embracing the insights of Piaget, Vygotsky, Bowlby, and Bandura, we take a step closer to training models that are grounded in science, compassion, and consent—for both humans and animals.
References
• Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. Prentice Hall.
• Bandura, A., Ross, D., & Ross, S. A. (1961). Transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive models. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 63(3), 575–582. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0045925
• Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and Loss: Vol. 1. Attachment. Basic Books.
• Bruner, J. S. (1960). The Process of Education. Harvard University Press.
• Cherry, K. (2024). Piaget's 4 Stages of Cognitive Development Explained
• Background and Key Concepts of Piaget's Theory. Retrieved from Verywell Mind https://www.verywellmind.com/piagets-stages-of-cognitive-development-2795457
• Miller, G. A. (2003). The cognitive revolution: a historical perspective. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 7(3), 141–144. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1364-6613(03)00029-9
• Neisser, U. (1967). Cognitive Psychology. Appleton-Century-Crofts.
• Piaget, J. (1952). The Origins of Intelligence in Children. International Universities Press.
• Skinner, B. F. (1938). The Behavior of Organisms: An Experimental Analysis. Appleton-Century.
• Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press.