Observational Learning

The most important Social Learning Theorist is Albert Bandura. He believes that the most important process in learning for humans is observational learning which he calls modelling. The key steps in observational learning are Identification, Imitation and Reinforcement, but everything begins with a role model demonstrating or modelling a behaviour.

Modelling, Identification, Imitation & Reinforcement

Modelling

When a person performs a behaviour and is seen by another person, they are modelling the behaviour for them. If the people who are observing the behaviour judge that the other person should be their role model, they identify with them.

Identification

Identification involves associating with the qualities, characteristics and views of specific role models who possess qualities that individuals would like for themselves. When a learner identifies with a role model, they will remember their behaviour and add it to the repertoire of actions they can produce and may imitate.

Imitation

Imitation is copying or reproducing behaviour that has been learned through observation. When they do this, learners make a judgement about whether it is the right situation in which to reproduce it and whether they are likely to be successful in performing the action. They are also actively testing whether they should reproduce the behaviour again by evaluating the reinforcement they receive.

Reinforcement

Reinforcement refers to the consequence of the action for the learner, in general desirable consequences will lead to a behaviour being reproduced. If a behaviour is reinforced sufficiently, it becomes internalised. Internalised actions do not require more reinforcement; they are a relatively fixed part of the learner’s behaviour — their identity — and they will go on to model them for other learners.

Acquisition and Performance

Social Learning Theory distinguishes between acquisition of a behaviour and its performance.

During Modelling, the behaviour has been acquired after identification, but may never be imitated or reinforced. This was demonstrated in Bandura (1965) where children were able to produce observed behaviours when asked, even if they did not produce them voluntarily. This is an important difference between Social Learning and Behaviourism in which learning and performance are considered the same.

Observational learning is demonstrated in Bandura, Ross & Ross (1961).

Aim - To demonstrate that aggression can be learned through modelling

Method - 72 children aged between 3 and 6 years old were put into one of three groups for 10 minutes. In all groups there were equal numbers of boys and girls. Half saw male models and half saw female models.

(aggressive model) played in a room while an adult hit and shouted at a “Bobo doll”.

(non-aggressive model) played in a room while an adult played quietly with a construction set.

(control) did not see a model.

Later the children were observed while they spent 20 minutes alone in a room with a range of aggressive and non-aggressive toys including the Bobo doll.

Results - Children who saw the aggressive model produced more aggressive acts than those in either other group. Boys imitated same sex models more than girls. Girls imitated more physical aggression if they saw male models, and more verbal aggression if they saw female models.

Conclusion - Aggression can be learned through modelling.

Examples of Observational Learning

Teachers use modelling when they demonstrate how to behave in class or how to answer questions better.

Television and magazine advertisements use modelling. By showing happy, successful people using a product, the advertisers hope to persuade you to do the same. In some cases, this is used to make a point about social learning itself, as in NAPCAN’s “Children see, children do” video that can be found online.

There is also evidence that social learning plays a role in the learning of phobias. Cook and Mineka (1989) showed that macaque monkeys could develop fears of snakes if shown videos of other monkeys that displayed the fear. Modelling is also used in treating phobias - especially in children.