What Are The 4 Processes of Observational Learning?
Learning happens by seeing someone else do something, but you do it later and can’t explain it as being taught in any other way. The 4 processes of observational learning include:
- Attention: A person watches someone else’s actions.
- Retention: The person remembers what they saw.
- Production: The person needs to have the skills to copy the action.
- Motivation: The person needs a reason to copy the action.
Observational Learning Examples in Real Life
Following are examples showing how people learn by watching others:
- A child sees their parent folding clothes. Later, the child tries to fold clothes the same way.
- A couple goes to an Asian restaurant and watches other people using chopsticks. They copy them to learn how to use the chopsticks.
- A child sees a classmate getting in trouble for hitting someone. They learn that hitting others is wrong by watching this.
- Some children are playing hide-and-seek. One child is new and doesn’t know the rules. After watching the others, they learn how to play and join in.
The Bobo Dolls Experiment
Dr. Albert Bandura did an important study in psychology in the 1960s at Stanford University. He wanted to show that thinking processes are crucial for learning. At that time, Behaviorism was the main theory and didn’t consider things that couldn’t be directly seen.
Bandura made two versions of a video. In version #1, an adult acted aggressively with a Bobo doll by throwing it around and hitting it with a wooden mallet. In version #2, the adult played gently with the doll by carrying it around and pushing it softly.
After showing children one of the two videos, they were taken to a room with a Bobo doll. The children who watched version #1 were much more aggressive with the doll than those who watched version #2. Bandura’s study was the basis for his social learning theory and sparked a debate about the effects of TV violence on children.
This study included features of both experimental and observational research. For the difference, see experiment vs observation.
Apprenticeships
Apprenticeships are a great example of learning by watching. During an apprenticeship, you watch a professional work rather than just learn in a classroom. Apprenticeships are common in hands-on jobs like plumbing, carpentry, and cooking.
Internships are similar but for white-collar jobs. They combine classroom learning with real-world experience. For example, doctors often do internships after getting their medical degrees to learn from experienced doctors.
Any Questions ?
Learning How to Walk
One of the first examples of observational learning is when toddlers learn to walk. They watch their caregivers walk many times a day. By observing how legs move and how the upper body helps balance, they learn the basic steps needed to walk.
First, they stand up, then learn to balance. They start by holding onto furniture and moving along it. Eventually, a toddler takes a few steps on their own, to the joy of their parents.
Gender Norms
In the past 20 years, it has become clear that our ideas about masculinity and femininity are learned, not innate. Boys learn to “act like men” by watching male role models, and girls learn to “be girly” by watching female role models.
Different societies have different gender roles. In some places, women make household decisions, while in others, men do. This shows that gender norms are social constructs that create societal hierarchies.
Key Note
Observational learning has existed since the dawn of time. Humans have learned civilization through observation. For example, the idea of inventing the airplane came from watching birds fly in the sky. The world is full of countless observational learning examples.
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