Observational Learning

Most humans learn by simply watching, and then imitating the action rather than trial and error or direct experiences of the consequences of our actions (this is not to say that watching and imitating is the only way of learning). This method of learning is called observational learning. The highly recognized psychologist with observational learning is Albert Bandura. Bandura’s theory states that observational learning

Observational learning is another simple behavioral training technique. It’s as simple as its name, you learn by watching others. For example, let’s say you are trying to learn to balance a book on your head. You’ve been watching your parent do it and you try it out as well by imitating their behaviors that you previously observed. That’s a basic example of learning by observation. This helps us better understand human behavior in this way: it tells us that humans observe other behavior and try to imitate it in order to achieve the same, or a similar effect. That is another basic aspect of human behaviors that also occurs on a daily basis.

Observational learning is simply learning by observing the behavior of other people called models (Bandura 1997,1986,1989 2000,2006). Bandura sees observational learning as one of the most important mechanism through which humans behavior changes. Cady watched how “the plastics”acted and that is why she eventually became one. This type of learning is more cognitive than conditioning because people have to pay attention to how the person acted at a particular time and make mental pictures to use them later on.

This method is better in a way that by observing others, we can quickly gain knowledge about which behaviors are likely to lead to good outcomes. What I remember from my childhood is that everything I learned was by watching everyone else. For example every time my mom would want to teach me something knew she would demonstrate it to me. I learned a lot by seeing what others did. When my aunt started to cook I loved watching her cook to see how she made the food. Now that I became older I know how to cook by just watching my aunt cook when I was younger. I also learned how to ride the bike because my mom thought me how to ride it with demonstrations. I believe most of the people in this world learn by observing others. Is an easier way to learn and is not too complicated. Just like the saying “monkey see, monkey do”. When people see other people doing something they want to do it as well I believe is just a human instinct we have developed with time. Till this day I learn better with demonstrations r

An example of observational learning is Eli, a successful businessman. Eli has an obsession with saving money as he observed it from his father. His parents were poor immigrants that pinched every penny they could. Everytime Eli would try to enjoy the fruits of his labor, he would hear his father’s warnings. His father’s distrust of the future carried through to his thoughts on women. Like success, a woman would inevitably turn on you someday. Eli imitated his father’s beliefs and actions throughout his life as he learned them to be socially appropriate.

“Bandura analyzed the nature of observational learning and found it to be governed by four related mechanisms: attentional processes, retention processes, production processes, and incentive and motivational processes” (Schultz & Schultz, 2013, p. 335). First, there are various changing forces that can effect attentional processes (Schultz & Schultz, 2013). According to Bandura, “observational learning or modeling will not occur unless the subject pays attention to the model” (Schultz & Schultz, 2013). For example, even though Antwone was not raised by his biological parents, he had several influences in his life.

The learning approach is a behaviorist theory and only observable behaviour’s are studied. The theory

As hundreds of people were preparing for the big event of the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises, the famously known James Holmes was planning something far more sinister. What happened in that Colorado movie theater in 2012 will never be forgotten. Moviegoers were waiting for the long anticipated premiere of the new movie, as a man dressed up as the infamous Joker character from the Batman movies rushed to the front of the theater and open fired into the crowd, setting off a series of tear gas grenades in the audience during his reign of terror. He had his hair dyed red and wore protective gear. 71 innocent people were shot that night, and 12 were killed.

Observational occurs through observing the behavior of others in your environment. While in battle Jim observes the terror and fear of others when a bomb is fired in his squad. The loud noise produced by the bomb being fired triggers a sense of fear among his unit and reminds them that a battle is in the process. When Jim looks beside himself at the faces of his members in his unit he is learning by observing his surroundings adding to his own sense of anguish. By learning from others in his unit or his environment Jim now correlates loud noises with fear due to his remembrance of the expression on other people’s faces, and how they are acting once a bomb is fired. Observational learning relies on what we perceive and who we are observing. An individual is more likely to observe and take into account the behavior of someone he or she respects and trusts rather than a random person. In Jim’s case members of your units are like your brothers, which further propel Jims fear by seeing it in the people’s faces that he respects and trusts. A common factor which increases the likelihood of imitation is if the situation in ambiguous and unfamiliar. When Jim first started out while in battle he looked at the faces of his comrades as he was perplexed and confused for the first time in a pressuring situation. He noticed that they were also very perplexed which perpetuated the same

Observation is very important in young children because that is how you get to know a child better. While observing how a child interacts with their peers, adults, and how they behave in different settings, you are getting to know the child without speaking to them.

Attention: Observers cannot learn unless they pay attention to what 's happening around them. This process is influenced by characteristics of the model, such as how much one likes or identifies with the model, and by characteristics of the observer, such as the observer 's expectations or level of emotional arousal.

"Observational learning, also called imitation or modeling, is learning that occurs when a person observes and imitates someone 's behavior (Santrock, p.165)." Albert Bandura described four main processes: attention, retention, motor reproduction, and reinforcement. "Before people can reproduce a model 's actions, they must attend to what the model is saying or doing. To reproduce an action, you must retain the information and keep it in memory so that it can be retrieved. People might attend to a model and

     Observational learning occurs when a person or an animal uses observation of another’s actions and their consequences to guide their own future actions. The person being observed is referred to as a model. For this reason observational learning is also referred to as modeling. Observational learning involves four stages, attention, retention, reproduction and motivation-reinforcement. Attention is when the learner observers the actions of the model (The higher the status of the model the more attention the learner will pay and the closer their imitations will be to the models actions). Retention is when the learner retains in their memory what they have just observed. Reproduction is when the learner will reproduce or imitate the actions of the model that they have just observed. Reproduction is when the learner reproduces or imitates what they have just observed. Motivation-reinforcement can come in various ways. External reinforcement, through praise for doing something well, self-reinforcement, through the

A. Basic Concepts 1. Observational LearningThe Social Learning Theory says that people canlearn by watching other people perform the behavior. Observational learningexplains the nature of children to learn behaviors by watching the behaviorof the people around them, and eventually, imitating them. With the ―Bobo Doll‖ experiment(s) , Bandura included an adult who is tasked to actaggressively toward a Bobo Doll while the children observe him. Later,Bandura let the children play inside a room with the Bobo Doll.

In regards to social cognitive theory, one is looking at the fact that people learn by observing behavioral