Observational Learning

Origins of Observational Learning

• Thorndike’s Findings:

  • Conducted an experiment with experienced and naïve cats in puzzle boxes.

  • He observed that the naïve cat did not learn from the experienced cat despite being nearby.

  • Concluded there was no evidence for learning by observation.

• Lack of Early Research:

  • Thorndike and Watson's findings resulted in little experimental investigation of observational learning for years.

  • Interest revived in the 1930s with Carl Warden's research involving Rhesus monkeys, leading to Bandura's work.

The Bobo Experiment (Bandura, 1961)

• Participants:

  • 36 boys and 36 girls between ages 3 and 6 from Stanford University Nursery School.

• Methodology:

  • Participants grouped into two: one group exposed to adult modeling aggressive behavior, the other to non-aggressive behavior.

  • Individual testing to control for peer influence.

  • Interaction in a playroom with various activities before observing adult behavior.

• Adult's Role:

  • Non-aggressive adults played with toys without engaging with the Bobo doll.

  • Aggressive adults attacked the Bobo doll using physical violence and aggressive language like "Kick him" and "Pow."

• Child's Playroom:

  • Filled with aggressive toys (mallet, Bobo doll) and non-aggressive toys (dolls, crayons, trucks).

  • Children allowed 20 minutes of play while researchers observed from behind a one-way mirror to assess aggression levels.

• Findings:

  • Children exposed to aggressive models imitated observed behaviors when the adult model was absent.

  • Boys exhibited more aggressive behavior than girls, with boys engaging in over twice as many aggressive acts.

Bandura’s Social Learning Theory

• Theory Overview:

  • Learning occurs through observation of others and imitating their actions.

  • The Bobo doll experiment illustrates how behaviors can be acquired through observation and imitation.

Types of Observational Learning

• Social Observational Learning:

  • Learning through observing a model and the consequences of the model’s behavior.

  • This is the traditional view of observational learning.

• Asocial Observational Learning:

  • Learning from events and their consequences in the absence of a model.

  • Observer learns from consequences of events without direct human modeling.

Vicarious Reinforcement and Punishment

• Vicarious Reinforcement:

  • Observer's behavior is strengthened following reinforcement experienced by a model.

  • Example: Observing someone finding money by sliding a door and then doing it themselves.

• Vicarious Punishment:

  • Observer's behavior is weakened following punishment experienced by a model.

  • Example: Observing an adult criticized for a behavior and then avoiding that behavior.

Examples of Vicarious Learning

• Monkeys learned to pull chains for raisins after watching another monkey.

• Cats observed others using a turntable to reach food and mimicked the action.

• Children learned to push a mat away for toys by watching an adult do so.

Imitation vs. Emulation

• Imitation:

  • Directly mimicking the behavior of a model.

  • Example: Copying how someone retrieves an item from a machine.

• Emulation:

  • Copying the goal of a behavior but using a different approach.

  • Example: Children copying silly actions that have no apparent benefit even after being told not to.

Identifying Types of Behavior

• Examples:

  • Lisa imitates her sister’s hair dyeing. (Imitation)

  • Tina mirrors her mother’s exact teeth brushing method. (Imitation)

Variables Affecting Observational Learning

• Task Difficulty:

  • Observing models performing difficult tasks can enhance learning more effectively than observing easy tasks.

• Skilled vs. Unskilled Modeling:

  • Skilled models provide a clear example, but unskilled models can highlight mistakes, offering learning opportunities.

  • Effectiveness may vary with task demands and is not straightforward.

Conclusion

• Review of concepts discussed:

  • Origins of observational learning, Bandura’s study, types of observational learning, and influencing variables.

• Recommended Reading:

  • "Learning and Behavior: Active Learning Edition, 8th ed., Chapter 10."