what is the main idea of social learning theory?

The main idea of social learning theory is that people learn new behaviors, attitudes, and emotional reactions by observing and imitating others within a social context. Learning is a cognitive process that can occur simply through observation, without direct practice or reinforcement. This theory, developed by Albert Bandura, emphasizes that individuals do not passively receive information but actively process what they observe, including the consequences of others' behaviors, which influence whether they adopt or avoid those behaviors. It highlights the role of observation, modeling, and vicarious reinforcement in learning, and recognizes the interaction between cognition, environment, and behavior, known as reciprocal determinism.