What is the difference between observational learning and modeling

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Journal of Motor Behavior, , 14 , Role of timing of visual monitoring and motor rehearsal in observational learning of action patterns. Journal of Motor Behavior, 17 , Role of symbolic coding and rehearsal processes in observational learning. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 26 , Analysis of memory codes and cumulative rehearsal in observational learning.

Journal of Research in Personality, 7 , Modification of syntactic style. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 4, Vicarious classical conditioning as a function of arousal level. Journal Personality anof d Social Psychology, 3 , Observational learning as a function of symbolization and incentive set. A symbolic model can be fictional characters or real people who demonstrate behaviors in books, movies, television shows, video games, or Internet sources figure below.

Bandura described specific steps in the process of modeling that must be followed if learning is to be successful: attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation. First, you must be focused on what the model is doing—you have to pay attention. Next, you must be able to retain, or remember, what you observed; this is retention.

Then, you must be able to perform the behavior that you observed and committed to memory; this is reproduction. Finally, you must have motivation. You need to want to copy the behavior, and whether or not you are motivated depends on what happened to the model.

If you saw that the model was reinforced for her behavior, you will be more motivated to copy her. This is known as vicarious reinforcement. On the other hand, if you observed the model being punished, you would be less motivated to copy her. This is called vicarious punishment. After their mother left the room, Allison was tempted to play in the make-up, but she did not want to get a time-out from her mother. What do you think she did?

Once you actually demonstrate the new behavior, the reinforcement you receive plays a part in whether or not you will repeat the behavior.

He conducted an experiment with a five-foot inflatable doll that he called a Bobo doll. In one scenario, a teacher acted aggressively with the doll, hitting, throwing, and even punching the doll, while a child watched.

When the teacher was punished for her bad behavior, the children decreased their tendency to act as she had.

When the teacher was praised or ignored and not punished for her behavior , the children imitated what she did, and even what she said. They punched, kicked, and yelled at the doll. What are the implications of this study? Bandura concluded that we watch and learn, and that this learning can have both prosocial and antisocial effects.

Prosocial positive models can be used to encourage socially acceptable behavior. Parents in particular should take note of this finding. If you want your children to read, then read to them. Let them see you reading. Keep books in your home. Talk about your favorite books. If you want your children to be healthy, then let them see you eat right and exercise, and spend time engaging in physical fitness activities together.

The same holds true for qualities like kindness, courtesy, and honesty. Besides parents, many public figures, such as Martin Luther King, Jr. Can you think of someone who has been a prosocial model in your life?

In order for the observer to engage in this new behavior, they will need some sort of motivation. Even if the observer is able to imitate the model, if they lack the drive to do so, they will likely not follow through with this new learned behavior. Motivation may increase if the observer watched the model receive a reward for engaging in a certain behavior and the observer believes they will also receive some reward if they imitate said behavior. Motivation may decrease if the observer had knowledge of or witnessed the model being punished for a certain behavior.

According to Bandura's research, there are a number of factors that increase the likelihood that a behavior will be imitated. We are more likely to imitate:. Observational learning has the potential to teach and reinforce or decrease certain behaviors based on a variety of factors. Particularly prevalent in childhood, observational learning can be a key part of how we learn new skills and learn to avoid consequences.

However, there has also been concern about how this type of learning can lead to negative outcomes and behaviors. Some studies, inspired by Bandura's research, focused on the effects observational learning may have on children and teenagers. For example, previous research drew a direct connection between playing certain violent video games and an increase in aggression in the short term. However, later research that focused on the short- and long-term impact video games may have on players has shown no direct connections between video game playing and violent behavior.

Similarly, research looking at sexual media exposure and teenagers' sexual behavior found that, in general, there wasn't a connection between watching explicit content and having sex within the following year.

The likelihood of sexual intercourse increased when opposite-sex peers consumed sexual content together. Research indicates that when it comes to observational learning, individuals don't just imitate what they see and that context matters. This may include who the model is, who the observer is with, and parental involvement. Observational learning can be a powerful learning tool. When we think about the concept of learning, we often talk about direct instruction or methods that rely on reinforcement and punishment.

But, a great deal of learning takes place much more subtly and relies on watching the people around us and modeling their actions. This learning method can be applied in a wide range of settings including job training, education, counseling, and psychotherapy. Ever wonder what your personality type means? Sign up to find out more in our Healthy Mind newsletter. Jones SS. The development of imitation in infancy. Does playing violent video games cause aggression?

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