Observational Learning

1. Observational Learning November 3, 2010

2. What is Learning?

3. Learning is acquiring new knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, or preferences and may involve synthesizing different types of information.

4. What is Observational Learning?

5. What is Observational Learning? -Learning by observing and imitating others + =

6. Also called social learning or modeling. Or “Monkey See, Monkey Do” Video: Observational Learning

7. What are some examples?

8. Examples for little kids • Someone burns their hand on a hot stove. You learn not to touch it or you will get burned. (Hot coffee) • Have three labels: square, circle, triangle. I organize the blocks according to the label. Hayden learns what block goes with what label. (Color game) (Piaget stage?) • I flip the light switch up and the light comes on. Hayden learns that moving the switch turns the light on and off. • Hayden drops a toy on the floor and I pick it up for him so he can keep playing. He learns that when he throws the toy, I will pick it up. Fun game. 

9. Mirror Neurons • Frontal lobe neurons that fire when performing certain actions or when observing another doing so. The brain’s mirroring of another’s action may enable imitation, language learning, and empathy. (Video example)

10. Albert Bandura • “Learning would be exceedingly laborious, not to mention hazardous if people had to rely solely on the effects of their own actions to inform them what to do.” (1977)

11. Bandura’s Experiment • An adult beats up on a Bobo doll repeatedly in front of a kindergartner. When the adult leaves the room the child is placed in a room with a new Bobo doll. Guess what happens? Video: Original Footage

12. Other Darker Examples • Abusive parents may likely have aggressive children. • Films about easy sex and pleasure may lead students to think that there are no consequences for that kind of behavior such as pregnancy, diseases, or AIDS. • Wrestling moves on TV that look fun could be very dangerous in real life. (Boy in Florida prosecuted.) • Violent video games could lead to students committing violent acts at school or home. • These are all examples of an Antisocial Model.

13. Antisocial Model • Meaning a person observes and imitates a bad or harmful behavior.

14. TV, Films, and Video Games • What are your thoughts? Groups. • Does TV influence how we behave in the real world? • Does the amount of TV we watch have an effect on us? • Think about movies like “Saw,” “300,” and “Gamer” • Think of video games like “Dead Rising,” “Halo,” and the “Call of Duty” franchise (Study about video games)

15. Prosocial Behavior • Positive, nonviolent, constructive, helpful behavior that can prompt other people to exhibit good behavior as well. • Prosocial icons: Jesus Gandhi Martin Luther King Jr. Billy Graham Tipper Gore? (Just Say No Campaign) Michelle Obama? (Sesame Street Commercial)

16. Parents are a great influence for prosocial behavior • However some parents frequently operate under the phrase “Do as I say, not as I do.” Not a good approach. • Classmates can also be good examples for their peers to follow. • Picking up books that someone dropped • Carrying someone’s stuff to class if it looks too heavy for them • Seeing if a classmate needs help with homework • Set a Prosocial example!

17. Questions?

18. Key Terms to Remember • What is Learning? • Other names for Observational Learning • Mirror Neurons • Albert Bandura (Bobo Doll Experiment) • Prosocial Behavior • Antisocial Behavior

19. FUN TIME!!!