Bandura's Social Learning Theory (1977) suggests that humans learn not just through individual trial and error but also by observing and emulating others - a process known as observational learning.

The people or 'models' we interact with have a significant impact on the behaviors we learn. For example, a child in an abusive, violent environment is more likely to adopt aggressive behaviors than a child exposed to peaceful, non-violent role models.

Real World Example: It's like how a kid who grows up with parents who love reading books is more likely to develop a reading habit, whereas a kid whose family loves sports might be more inclined to play a sport.

Bandura's most famous study involved a bobo doll (an inflatable doll that pops back up when hit). Bandura, Ross, and Ross (1961) observed children who saw an adult behaving aggressively towards the bobo doll. The children tended to imitate this behavior, indicating that they learned through observation.

Fun Analogy: Imagine watching a YouTube tutorial on how to do a cool new dance move, and then trying it out yourself - that's observational learning!

The researchers also found that boys were more likely to imitate physical aggression, while girls were more likely to imitate verbal aggression.

Real World Example: It's like boys in a playground getting into physical fights after seeing their favourite action movie characters do the same, while girls might mimic the verbal spats they've seen on popular TV shows.