Learning: Operant Conditioning

Shaping

Teaching a behavior through rewarding small steps toward the desired behavior.

Primary Reinforcer

A naturally rewarding stimulus that meets a basic need, like food or water.

Secondary Reinforcer

A learned reward that gains value through association, like money or grades.

Observational Learning

Learning by watching and imitating other people's behavior.

Live Model

A real person demonstrates a behavior in front of someone.

Symbolic Model

A character or person demonstrates behavior through media, books, or videos.

Verbal Model

Someone explains or describes how to perform a behavior.

Albert Bandura

Psychologist who demonstrated that people can learn by observing others.

Attention

Noticing and focusing on the behavior being demonstrated.

Retention

Remembering the observed behavior.

Reproduction

Being able to perform the behavior that was observed.

Motivation

Having a reason or desire to imitate the behavior.

Vicarious Reinforcement

Seeing someone rewarded for a behavior, making you more likely to imitate it.

Vicarious Punishment

Seeing someone punished for a behavior, making you less likely to imitate it.

Bobo Doll Experiment

Bandura showed children adults acting aggressively toward a doll; children often imitated the behavior.

Main Takeaway of Bobo Doll

People can learn behaviors by observing others, even without direct rewards.