From Skinner to Satori? Toward a Social Learning Analysis of Encounter Group Behavior Change

Abstract

How can encounter group behavior, and behavior change following such groups, be understood most fruitfully? This article reviews social factors, inside and outside the encounter group setting, that may influence behavior change, maintenance, and generalization. The rudiments of social learning theory (SLT) are outlined, and it is argued that a cognitive social learning?nodel has distinct applied, heuristic, and sociopolitical value when used in conceptualizing encounter group processes and outcomes. It is proposed that a number of grotup-facilitated motor, affective, cognitive, and verbal behavior changes noted in the literature are a function of specific social learning processes.