What’s Observational Learning?

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Observational learning, also known as social learning or modeling, is a form of learning in which people acquire a new behavior by observing someone else performing that behavior. The person performing the behavior is known as the model and the learner is known as the observer. The pioneer of observational learning research is Albert Bandura, who published a major study on it where he showed that children can learn rough play behaviors by watching a rough play demonstration.

It is important to note that learning by observation is not the same as imitation. In imitation, an observer imitates a modeled behavior. In observational learning, behavioral changes are captured, meaning that the observer can either engage in a new behavior or stop a behavior, depending on how the behavior is presented by the model, and the change is maintained.

The new behavior is more likely to be demonstrated if the model is someone who is seen as an authority figure. For example, children who see behavior modeled by a child of their own age may not acquire it, but if it is modeled by an older child or adult, especially one who is seen as a model in some way, children will be more likely to pick up on the new behavior.

Several components are involved in observational learning. The first is to pay attention; the observer must concentrate on the model to be learned. Then there is the ability to retain the acquired information and reproduce it. Finally, there must be a motivation for a behavioral change, either in the form of a model-demonstrated motivation, or in the environment.

For example, if a child sees an older child praised for doing something, that child may replicate the behavior, or if a child sees another child punished for exhibiting a particular behavior, the likelihood of reproducing that behavior decreases. Similarly, if a child is in an environment where new behaviors tend to be punished, they will be less likely to reproduce a patterned behavior, fearing punishment, while children in an environment where new behaviors are praised will be more likely to to reproduce a modeled behavior.

Observational learning research has shown that reinforcement and punishment can moderate not necessarily the demonstration of behavior, but the likelihood of reproducing a modeled behavior. It may seem like a small distinction, but it can actually be important, because it demonstrates that people can acquire behaviors and information without being directly rewarded for specific behaviors. Observational learning appears to be especially common in early childhood and may be a natural learning response to navigate a world that contains a huge volume of new information.

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