Whole areas of psychology -- hull-spence theory, animal learning, social learning, client centered therapy, etc. -- seem to have disappeared without some new finding disproving them. What follows isn't necessarily a better theory but a different theory. Is this how science works, or is this how the arts work? Any insights?
Professor Reiss, this is a wonderful question that draws me to the philosophy of (psychological) science, but I shall not digress. I can provide a partial answer from my own disciplinary perspective (i.e., counselling psychology, vocational psychology, career development). In my field, social learning theory has not disappeared; it has evolved in response to the progressive accretion of evidence (mostly in its favour) and new conceptualisations in response questions and problems that it had to solve. First, it took the form of the social learning theory of career (Krumboltz, Mitchell, & Jones, 1976). Later, it took the form of the social cognitive career theory (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994). The social cognitive career theory has generated a dense volume of empirical literature that also informs counselling practices. So, on this count, I’m happy to say that social learning theory is alive and well.
References
Krumboltz, J. D., Mitchell, A. M., & Jones, G. B. (1976). A social learning theory of career selection. The Counseling Psychologist, 6(1), 71-81.
Lent, R. W., Brown, S. D., & Hackett, G. (1994). Toward a unifying social cognitive theory of career and academic interest, choice, and performance. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 45(1), 79-122. doi: 10.1006/jvbe.1994.1027
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