...RUNNING HEAD: Observational Observational Learning: More then Trial-and-Error Calvin Smith, Jr. Middlesex County College PSY-123 3/6/2012 Introduction Observational: based on observation or experience. Merriam-Webster (2012) Learning: A systematic, relatively permanent change in behavior that occurs through experience. King, L. A. (2010). But what is Observational Learning? According to Albert Bandura, observational learning, also called imitation or modeling, is learning that occurs when a person observes and imitates behavior. King, L. A. (2010). This process, in theory, simplifies learning and eliminates the potentially hazardous and tedious trial-and-error periods in other forms of learning. I have found this to be very true in my own life in the constant teachings of my 8-year-old son. Summary of Theory Bandura’s Model of Observational Learning applies 4 elements to effectively achieve learning; Attention, Retention, Motor Reproduction and Reinforcement. The belief here is that through these elements a person can essentially be given the experience step by step and hence learn from observing someone else’s actions and advice. The first process that must occur is attention. In order for a person to be able to imitate an action they must attend to what the model is saying or doing. For example, if you attend a cooking class and find yourself texting through the beginning instructions you are likely to miss...
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...imitation. It also known as displaced learning, modeling. This theory was suggested by Albert Bandura. Mainly, to learn in an observational way, recall it or record it in their mind, and finally replicate the behavior. The behavior may or may not happen again. The choice to continue demonstrating the behavior depends on the outcome (reward, etc.). The things that limit this type of learning are the intelligence level and the level of capability to copy the person well that the learner has. In the experiment, of Bandura's stresses the important of observational learning. In his famous Bobo doll experiment, Bandura determined that early children would mimic the violent and aggressive actions of an adult model. In the experiment, children observed a film in which an adult repeatedly hit a large, inflatable balloon doll) Taylor and DeQuinzio, 2012). After viewing the film clip, children were allowed to play in a room with a real Bobo doll just like. Bandura's research on observational learning...
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...There are several guiding principles behind observational learning, or social learning theory: The observer will imitate the model’s behavior if the model possesses characteristics– things such as talent, intelligence, power, good looks, or popularity–that the observer finds attractive or desirable. The observer will react to the way the model is treated and mimic the model’s behavior. When the model’s behavior is rewarded, the observer is more likely to reproduce the rewarded behavior. When the model is punished, an example of vicarious punishment, the observer is less likely to reproduce the same behavior. A distinction exists between an observer’s “acquiring” a behavior and “performing” a behavior. Through observation, the observer can acquire the behavior without performing it. The observer may then later, in situations where there is an incentive to do so, display the behavior. Learning by observation involves four separate processes: attention, retention, production and motivation. 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. Retention: Observers must not only recognize the observed behavior but also remember it at some later time. This process depends on the observer’s...
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...Should professional sports people (such as AFL footballers, national cricketers) be role models? In this context, consider the role of observational and social learning, and what role they are modeling. Make sure that you primarily address psychological rather than sociological aspects of being a role model. Sport has always been a fundamental principle of Australian Society. The social and cultural roles of sport have provided Australians with unity as well as a sense of patriotism. Our interest in sport has not only contributed to expanding our “national consciousness” but was also a factor towards federation in 1901 (Cashman, 2003). Currently, almost 70 per cent of Australians engage in some form of sporting activity every week (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 2012) and through this our passion towards sport has even extended to an elite level. Within Australia there is a considerably large football culture, where “thousands of Australians descend on football stadiums” to support their respective teams (Australian Government, 2008). Of these codes the most “loyal and dedicated fans” are those devoted to Australian Rules Football (AFL) (Australian Government, 2008) and their devotion also spreads to those who play it. Due to the physical and social benefits that sport has on young Australians, the negative consequences which may arise due to them idolizing sports men and women, are quite often overlooked. In most cases, young boys view sportsmen such as AFL players...
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...self image and their ideal self * self-esteem is an evaluation of out traits and characteristics * Laurence (1996) indicates correlation between teacher and student self-esteem * teachers in powerful position to influence academic and emotional development of pupils * creating warm positive and caring classroom environment is important * talking to pupils about their interests/families/hobbies can help to gain an insight into the pupil and deal with self-esteem issues * use emotional vocabulary in the classroom * encourage the vocalisation of emotional experiences * explicit teaching of instructions to handle difficult situations e.g. bullying, is part of SPHE curriculum but can also form part of incidental learning in the classroom * teacher should communicate to pupils that they are liked, respected and worthy of attention * Humphrey’s (1996) send the following messages to pupils: * your behaviour is always...
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...different factors that can influence us to commit such kind of behaviors. Such crimes may be caused by intoxication, drug abuse, mental problems suffered by an individual. Aside from this, criminality can be also caused by factors that just drive an individual to carry out actions that are intentional and that can cause harm. Basically, it is human aggression that can possibly cause these criminal acts. Definitely aggression is part of human behavior but what causes and individual to become aggressive. Based on our discussion, we have talked about the Domain Specific Theories of Aggression. I strongly agree with the Social Learning Theory suggesting that individuals acquire aggressive behavior because of either direct experience or by observing others. Simply put, this theory asserts that aggressive behaviors are attained through observational learning processes. In the mainstream Filipino culture, we can usually hear sayings such as “Ang lahat ay tama sa mga mata ng mga bata.” Children who are exposed to a life where violence is a common sight, the tendency for them to develop a similar kind of behavior is very likely. It is very common for children who have experienced aggressive behavior to pass on their experiences to other individuals. Upon observation, they may see an action as something good if the adult does it most of the time. As a result they imitate these actions until the time they grow older just in case this will not be checked. Another point to look...
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...Albert Bandura – Social Learning Theory Social Learning Theory is also called observational learning. This learning is proving that learning is a cognitive process that takes place in a social context and can occur purely through observation or direct instruction, even in the absence of motor reproduction or direct Albert Bandura says that people learn from 3 different strategies and they are; Observation, Imitation and modelling; a saying for this is ‘monkey see, monkey do’ because ‘children see’ and ‘children do’. This saying explains everything in 4 simple words. Bandura’s social learning theory explains human behaviour in cognitive, behavioural and environmental influences. Everyone and everything around us has an impact on how we all behave. Bandura particularly focused on how aggression progresses in children. Bandura says that childrens behaviour is influenced and learned by observing whats going on around them in the environment that they are in. Children also observe the way people behave around others and are influenced by them in good ways and bad ways, this is shown by the bobo doll experiment. Children are especially influenced by the role models in this society, at first they will observe everything they do such as their behaviour and further down the line they will start to copy what they do and reinact it themselves. Sometimes this could be a good thing sometime this could be a bad thing. He also looks at how we are affected by the rewards and punishments...
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...Los Angeles, showed that a child’s “peer environment can shape how race is processed in the brain” (Telzer et al. 240). It is a well-known fact that people like to fit in with their peers; however, in the case of examining the root causes of prejudice, it also leaves them vulnerable to acquiring that same bias. Although acquiring prejudice is on one end of the issue, it does not fully show whether or not it would lead one to act on that prejudice; the action of doing so labeled discrimination; however, thanks to the Bobo Doll Experiment led by Albert Bandura, a psychologist who works at Stanford University, it becomes evident that it is just as easy to cause aggression as “children learn social behavior such as aggression through observational learning - through watching the behavior of another person” (McLeod, “Bobo Doll Experiment”). In other words, it is vital to understand that the environment has a strong impact on another’s beliefs and how they act on them. Unsurprisingly, the strongest catalyst of prejudice rooted is through first-hand experiences. One of the most conspicuous results of experiencing something negative is how one’s mentality in general can be impacted. This spreads beyond the realm of prejudice and leaks into more sensitive topics such as domestic abuse or child neglect: for example, it is understandable to hear that “[a] girl whose father abandoned her and her mother may form a belief that men cannot be trusted” (“How our past experiences” 2). Within the...
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...Outline and evaluate one or more social psychological theory of aggression. (24 mark) Aggression is defined as behaviour that is intended to harm or injure, this is directed towards another living being and can include physical injury. There are two approaches to aggression that I will be discussing in this essay, social learning theory and deinidividuation. Social Learning Theory (SLT) is defined as learning behaviour that is controlled by environmental influences rather than innate or internal forces. The behaviour shown by individuals during this theory of aggression is often referred to as modelling or observational learning; this is a form of vicarious experience. It is believed that humans are not born as aggressive individuals so the acts of aggression can only be acquired through direct experience and the observation of others. The behaviourists’ explanation emphasises on reinforcement. This is when certain behaviour is rewarded, encouraging it to be repeated and learned. Aggression that is associated with a reward is likely to be learned. Bandura et al (The Bobo doll) tested this theory of aggression and found that children who observed a model behaving aggressively towards a doll were likely to carry out the same behaviour when allowed to interact with the doll. His findings found that when left alone with the doll children would even improvise their own aggressive actions towards the doll. This behaviour was more commonly shown when the adult’s aggressive behaviour...
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...Reading helps children do better in school, have better communication skills, a larger vocabulary, and think more logically. These are only a few of the benefits children gain from learning to read. Teaching children the joy of reading from an early age can help them succeed in the long run. There are three different ways of teaching a child to read more. These three methods are called classical conditioning, operational conditioning, and observational learning. One way to get a child to read is through classical conditioning. Myers explained, “Classical conditioning is a type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate events” (2013, pg.268). Classical conditioning involves a reflexive, automatic behavior....
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...There is this popular saying: “Kids say the darnedest things.” And it is so true! But not only do they SAY the “darnedest” things. They also DO the “darnedest” things. As the mother of a four-year-old little girl, I know from experience. But where do kids learn the things they say or do? They learn it from watching and listening, or “observing.” Children are like little sponges. They observe everything around them, soak it all in, and imitate the words and actions they see and hear, both positive and negative. Because of this, it is my belief from personal experience that the style most appropriate and fitting to teaching children is observational learning. One of the most important factors of observational learning is whether the desired behavior is rewarded or not. The observation of punishment isn’t a guarantee that negative behavior won’t be learned or repeated. However, the chances of repeated desirable behavior increase if a child observes a reward. It is pretty simple to teach a child to clean his or her room with this approach. Although it may take a few times for the concept to sink in, it’s very basic: clean your (referring to the child) room and you will get to go to the park (or color, or watch television, whichever you want the reward to be). There are few things to do before you start. First, you need to consider a schedule for reinforcement. Do you want to reward your child every time he cleans his room with a continuous reinforcement schedule, or every once...
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...|Components of the approach |Historical milestones of the | | |design) | |theory | |Psychosocial Theory |Clinical and case study method |Emphasis on individual’s unique |1940’s observed that Yurok | | | |life history |Indians deprived babies of | | | | |breastfeeding for the first ten | | | | |days of life | |Social Learning Theory |Modeled behaviors |Emphasis on behavior |1992, 2001 places strong | | | |modification |emphasis on how children think | | | | |about themselves and other | | | | |people | |Cognitive-Development Theory |Four broad stages |Observed his infant children |1960 Piagets ideas get merit | |Sociocultural Theory |Gets ideas from the social world|Observed infants to see...
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...The Behaviourist Approach 1a) Outline two assumptions of the Behaviourist Approach (4 marks) One assumption of the Behaviourist Approach is that they believe the environment influences behaviour. An example of this behaviour would be social learning theory were it is believed that we learn through observing and imitating models such as parents this is known as environmental determinism. Another assumption of the Behaviourist Approach is that they believe scientific methods should be used only to study behaviour which is observable. They believe mental behaviour cannot be objectively measured, so choose to only study actions that can be observed, e.g. the learning of aggression via lab experiments by ‘Bandura’. 1b) Describe the Social Learning Theory of Aggression (8 marks) The Social Learning Theory (SLT) is learning through observing and imitating models such as parents or people in the media. It is a behaviourist theory because it can be tested in a controlled environment (laboratory) and conclusions from observations can be drawn, and behaviourists say we learn from our environment. Bandura (1977) also claimed that for social learning to take place individuals must undergo four stages. The first one being attention, individuals will learn the Aggressive Behaviour if they observe the model’s behaviour. Secondly, retention, the behaviour must be remembered in order for the individual to apply it. The third stage is reproduction: individuals must be able to reproduce the...
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...Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory is a theory that states cognitive determinism describes how behaviour is learnt through listening, watching, touching, and so forth. He also describes how internal symbolic representation process and remember information. Moreover, to further his theory Bandura is interested in the connection between children and aggressive behavior through modelling. Bandura knows that learning can be learnt through cognitive determinism, but what he wants to know is the extent that children learn through observation of adult behaviour. Instead of inheriting violent actions children can observe and imitate aggressive behaviours. Bandura believes that aggressive behaviour in children is influenced by models and media. As a result colleagues of Bandura and Bandura himself created the experiment: “The Bobo Doll Experiment”. Bandura’s hypothesis is the connection between aggressive modeling and aggressive behaviour in children, fitting with his views on social learning. Hypothesis: A hypothesis is a further way of stating a question (Galenza, 2013). Moreover, a hypothesis is the relationship between variables and predictions on what the answer to the question is going to result in. Bandura has more than one prediction in the “Bobo Doll Experiment”. He had four predictions: he predicted that children who were exposed to model aggressive behaviour would imitate that same aggression when the model was no longer present, he predicted that children...
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...Aggression: Social Learning Theory: Gabriel Tarde 1912: Characteristics of imitation: * Behaviour of role model * Copying of behaviour * Degree of contact w/ role model * Degree of understanding behaviour These are ways in which our social behaviour and responses could be shaped by the actions of others Bandura’s SLT: Behaviour is motivated by inherited psychological factors and socio-environmental factors Believed there were four basic processes: * Attention * Retention * Reproduction * Motivation STUDY: Bandura, Ross and Ross (1961) Aim: to find out if human behaviour is shaped by sociocultural processes of social learning Process: 72 children (36 f/m) * Bench mark for comparisons= teachers rated children’s level of aggressiveness * Child and adult enter room with toys * Agg = mallet and gun * Non agg = construction set * Agg = plays aggressively with bobo doll using physical and verbal violence * Non agg = didn’t interact with doll * To create frustration child was taken to a room w/ better toys and told they couldn’t play w/ them * Then taken to a room with similar toys to first room Findings: Children who witnessed the aggressive model were more likely to act aggressively * Boys were more aggressive if their role model was same sex * Girls had similar trend but was weaker * The girls in the aggressive model condition showed more physical aggressive responses if the model was male...
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