He vicarious or social learning points out that one not only learns through one’s own experience but one learns through the experience of others, either through information or modeling, that is, through observation of what happens to others or through the information received about the event. Of course, the role model must be desirable or attractive to the individual to such an extent that one wants to imitate him, be like him. In this Online Psychology article we are going to offer you a definition of vicarious learning with examples so that you better understand what it refers to.
Consumer behavior
By Consumer Behavior It is understood as those “activities of the individual aimed at the acquisition and use of goods and/or services” (Providencia sf), such actions are determined by a host of social, psychological, environmental factors, among others. In particular the advertising and marketing They look for how and what are these factors that motivate the consumer to purchase a product and continue buying it after trying it for the first time. In particular, they observe cultural, social, subculture, and family factors to direct strategies to attract customers to consume their products or services. In this sense, advertising creates attractive and desirable social models that attract consumers to their stores.
It is interesting to question how consumers make their decisions at the time of purchase, since the idea of classical economists that these decisions are rational and conscious is a bit far from reality. Emotions and preconceived and irrational ideas play a great role in decision making when choosing (Swartz 2010). For this reason, it is possible for marketing experts and advertisers to use strategies that reach the emotional world of the individual.
Consumer behavior is strongly rooted in their social and family environment, which may lead one to think that modeling, vicarious or social learning is the appropriate framework to understand said behavior, or at least to create marketing strategies that seduce the individual to buy a certain product.
Education and consumer behavior
In the field of education it has been said that must be taught by example, Because children learn, initially and then, by imitating their parents, teachers, peers and the social group with which they live. That is what vicarious, social or modeling learning is about, in the ability of humans, and also animals, to learn behaviors by observing their peers doing something, “they refer to the behavioral, cognitive and affective changes produced in a subject, derived from observing one or more models” (Schunk, 1997, cited by Cabrera, 2010, p. 1).
It should be noted from this type of learning that the acquisition of a new behavior can occur immediately. without the need for a gradual process of learning (Cabrera, 2010, p. 1) and without the presence of obvious reinforcement (Ruiz Ahmed, 2010, p. 2) as occurs in classical or operant conditioning.
Bandura was the American psychologist who developed the theory of vicarious learning by observing that there is a cognitive process behind the observation and decision to imitate other people’s behaviors. In order to achieve social learning, the following phases must be completed (Ruiz Ahmed, 2010, p. 4):
Pay attention to the model. It is necessary that the model meets the requirements of being attractive and influential on the subject, meeting certain similarities among other characteristics to catch the learner’s attention.
You must have the ability to retain and remember the behavior of the model to be able to imitate it later.
Then we move on to the reproduction of the behavior, its imitation, for this the apprentice must have the ability to do it, for example, perhaps a person who sees an acrobat perform his exercises cannot imitate him because he lacks the ability, however An acrobat can improve his skills by watching his teachers perform their exercises, even if he just watches a video or visualizes it in his imagination.
Of course, for this to be possible, it is necessary that the person is motivated to perform the action that he intends to imitate.
Vicarious learning
For the psychologist Cabrera (2010), there are 14 prior assumptions about vicarious learning coming to the conclusion that:
- Any subject, regardless of age, can learn by observation, from another (or more intensely if they do so from others), if the circumstances of the model or models are similar to their own.
- To do this, it is only necessary that there be a communication channel and have the intellectual and motor skills to carry out said behavior.
- This learning is immediate and can be unconscious (p. 6)
- In such a way that under these circumstances, it can be said that thanks to vicarious learning the conditions to understand how the market can reach the consumer are given, since it is the possibility of creating ideal and desirable models of the consumer so that they want and learn to consume. what is offered to them.
One of the premises of marketing says that “a satisfied consumer is our best advertising” (Sahui Maldonado, 2008, p. 72), not only because it provides information to other buyers about the product, but also becomes a model for other buyers. . Although there are many variables that interact in a consumer’s decision, this work focuses on the role that the advertising model plays in reflecting the taste of society, which allows the technological market to understand the product with the consumer by giving it an image. that reflects the tastes and needs of the buyer.
The role of consumers
The role that consumers assume in the chain of commerce of a product should also be highlighted, as indicated by Kotler when pointing out the 5 possible roles of the consumer:
- Initiator: is the first person who recommends or has the idea of consuming the product or service.
- Influencer: is a person whose opinions or advice have some weight in making the final decision.
- Decider: is the person who ultimately determines the consumption decision.
- Buyer: is the person who makes the purchase.
- User: is the person (or people) who consumes or uses the product or service (cited by Sahui Maldonado, 2008, p. 66)
In this sense, it is seen how the role of the consumer is of vital importance to induce a purchase as a satisfied customer and, to that extent, increasingly “voice-to-voice” marketing is imposed by having them as a satisfied customer who influences as a model that reflects their willingness to buy a certain product and influences others to do so.
And in marketing you must take into account what the social factors that influence the consumer, which are basically three groups: the primary, secondary and reference groups. The first is the family and friends group, the second are the institutions and groups that are close to the individual, such as political groups, the school, among others. The third are the social groups to which the person wishes to belong, where the social leaders, politicians, athletes and others who have influence on society as a whole are located thanks to the support of the media that highlights them (Providencia, sfp 4).
The role of society in consumption
The role of society when consuming and deciding what items to buy to satisfy needs is vital for the market, as they set trends and tastes and, to that extent, create desirable models that give the impulse to be followed. Especially if one takes into account that the communication channels between the buyer and his model do not necessarily have to interact with each other, that is, and, as Cabrera (2010) points out, it is an unconscious process where both the model and the apprentice do not know that there is a social modeling or learning relationship, they are just there. And it is precisely this possibility of the model being replicated in society that advertising takes to create an image that sells through modeling.
That is why advertising must be eye-catching, sticky and generate comments in the public. It is to enter the first phase of vicarious learning, so that they pay attention to your advertisement and it becomes a social event that is replicated in the consumer. Of course, not all recipients of the advertisement will decide to buy the product, but its existence in the market has been made known, covering an important point in marketing, that of providing information about a product and that it meets a need, that is. That is, there is “a difference between their actual state and a desired state” (Sahui Maldonado, 2008, p. 68), therefore there will be a possibility that the person will buy the product.
They are therefore evident similarities between business strategies and vicarious learning, in the sense that it presents a model to follow according to the models presented by society.
Conclusions
It can be observed that There is great similarity between marketing strategies and vicarious learning both the phases of this and the previous assumptions, that is, the expectations as the way in which vicarious learning occurs and is intended to influence the consumer can comply with the same phases of capturing the attention of the learner or consumer, introducing in your mind as an image or information that has to be remembered later, find a reason to then reproduce the desired behavior, buy and enjoy the product.
How social learning is given immediately, unconsciously and Without the need for a process of practice and knowledge development, nor is there a need to be in person and to monitor the learner, it is ideal for inducing behavior desired by the markets. It is only necessary to create a model that is desirable and close to the social groups that are intended to be reached.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- Grancolombiano Polytechnic (2013). Cognitive Learning and Vicarious Learning. Booklet Week 6. Grancolombiano Polytechnic University Institution. Colombia.
- Sahui Maldonado, J. (2008). Factors That Influence Consumer Behavior. An Approach from the Social Sciences. . Model University. Mexico.
- Swartz, H. (executive producer) and Ritsko, A (Director) (2010). Mind over Money. . Spain. Odyssey Channel.
- Ruiz Ahmend, Y. (2010). Vicarious Learning: implications in the Classroom. Topics for Education. CC Teaching Federation. OO. Andalusia.
- Rikoveri Marketing (sf) Consumer Behavior. Consulted on May 22, 2013. Available at: http://ricoverimarketing.es.tripod.com/RicoveriMarketing/id26.html
- Kotler, P (2001). What is the theory of consumer behavior? Gestiopolis. . Retrieved May 21,…