The Theory Of 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.

At Arts-Based School I did my observation in Leni Fragakis’s third grade class. This was the first observation I had done since learning about instructional design. Since learning it, I now have a new way of observing, I pay more attention to the teacher; how she implemented the lessons, what strategies she uses, and the types of assessments she uses. This gives me a better experience because before I was just paying attention to what the students were doing and their part in the classroom and now I am paying attention to so much more. Even though it is important to watch the kids, I now also know how important it is to observe the teacher, too. I was also able to observe what I am learning in class be used in the classroom.

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.

Observation is vital when you’re trying to guide behavior. With observation you can learn what interests or what children have struggles with. You can also learn how a child tackles problems or handles their frustrations, and it can also help you understand why children do the stuff they do. When you have accurate and detailed observations you can provide more precise information to parents about their child’s behavior and also to your administrators and colleagues.

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.

Learning is a fascinating concept. Everyone does it and everyone always has, but not everyone explores its eclectic process. That being said, through the course of history, it has been studied vehemently. Ivan Pavlov, a behaviorist, had some groundbreaking research on subclass of learning called classical conditioning. Coming across it incidentally, he discovered that dogs would salivate not only from eating food, but anything associated with them getting fed. Anything unnatural in their feeding process, he termed as the conditioned stimulus, which would result in the conditioned response of them salivating (Daniels). Though classical conditioning seems rather simple and commonsensible, the information psychologists have gathered from it has been revolutionary. It has shown psychologists the very basics of how we learn and adapt as organisms and opened the door for other studies (Myers 268). According to psychologists, learning is the process of acquiring new and relatively enduring information or behaviors (Myers 268).

Observational learning was form by Albert Bandura during his Bobo Doll experiment. Bobo doll experiment is an experiment where a child seeing his or her parents hitting the bobo doll angrily and follows the actions that was done by their parents. The learning is also known as shaping, modelling and vicarious reinforcement as this can be done in any place at any point in life and is mostly occurs during childhood. The observational learning able to influence one behaviour. As an example, by watching my dad cooks, I’ll able to cooks the dishes that he has just make for lunch. Also by observing others doing something one able to follow and observer others behaviour. However, observational learning can be done by only when others have an authority against

Psychology tells us that a human can learn various skills in two different ways, which are: Associative Learning and Observational Learning. Associative learning strikes a person when he or she makes a connection between two results or events, whereas observational learning arises when the person observes and imitates other people’s skills 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

Classical Conditioning: Whenever my mother brings out a hot dish, she yells, hot and we get out of the way so we don’t get burned by whatever she’s holding.

from Waukesha, Wisconsin, were arrested for luring a classmate into the woods after a sleepover and stabbing her nineteen times. When asked why did they do it, they stated it was because of Slender man made them, a fictional supernatural character that originated as an Internet meme created by Something Awful forums user Eric Knudsen in 2009(1). They stated killing their friend was the only way to win his approval, that if they did not, he will harm them and their families. Weier and Geyser are being charged as adults and may face up to 65 years in prison. The stabbing resulted in a debate on the role of video games and the internet in society and its impact on children.

Throughout television, one can hardly go a few minutes without being subjected to hundreds of ads, each providing something that is claimed to be essential to life. However, there may be something deeper behind these advertisements. Many psychological aspects are used by companies to ensure that their ads will leave an impression on the viewer. One of the main elements used is observational learning. During observational learning an observer will watch someone performing an action and observe the effects that said action has. If the action results in a negative reaction the observer will be less likely to repeat it. If the action has a positive reaction, they are more likely to repeat that action. One example of how observational learning

Research indicates that development of friendships begins in preschool ages 3 to 5. As communication skills increase, the desire to develop close friendships also increases during preadolescence and adolescence. Ability to develop communication skills that are conducive to forming close friendships determines the kind and an on occasion the number of friendships an individual has. Individual approaches to friendship are linked to attachment style (self esteem and interpersonal trust). Once these friendships are developed, do they influence individual social interactions? Yes, close friendships have influence on social interactions such as social activity level, mood, weight, political views, new friends, health, mortality, etc., which can be explained through the social learning theory; classical conditioning of observational learning. There has also been much empirical investigation examining selection and socialization effects with results indicating influences on a wide variety of attitudes and behaviors. There is also growing evidence of influence on health throughout an individual’s life.

Learning itself, cannot be observed as it is a hypothetical concept, but behavioural changes can be observed which lead to the assessment and understanding of what learning has taken place. Therefore when Psychologists use the term learning, they are referring to the process of learning, i.e. that technique or strategy which has been used to facilitate the learning.