1. Human Learning
Topic 9: Observational Learning
CEDP324 Ryan Sain, Ph.D. 1 3/30/2012

2. Observational Learning
 Change in behavior due to the experience of
observing a model
 Observation and classical conditioning
 Confederate and observer
 Confederate receives shock after a buzzer sounds
(acting) – observer watches
 Observer later showed conditioning to the buzzer
 Eyelid conditioning
 Observer watched conditioning trials – they eventually
produced a CR to the CS
CEDP324 Ryan Sain, Ph.D. 2 3/30/2012

3. Observational learning -
classical
 Alternate explanation
 Maybe watching a blink is a CS for blinking
 Tone paired with the sight – now produces the blink
 Might be higher order conditioning
CEDP324 Ryan Sain, Ph.D. 3 3/30/2012

4. Observational learning -
classical
 Monkeys reared in captivity with wild
parents
 Parents show fear of snakes – subjects do not
 Subjects will reach across a snake for food in the
same compartment
 Then have them watch a parent in the presence of a
snake
 The subjects then show fear of snakes.
CEDP324 Ryan Sain, Ph.D. 4 3/30/2012

5. Observational Learning -
operant
 Monkey learned to do a task to receive SR
(pull a chain)
 An observer watched the model perform the
task 5 times
 Observers given six trials
 Observers benefitted
 Many responded correctly on 1st trial
 75% of solutions 30s
 47% in 10s
 Failures were close to correct
CEDP324 Ryan Sain, Ph.D. 5 3/30/2012

6. Observational Learning -
Operant
 Cats solving a problem
 Spin a disk to receive SR
 4 Watched while one worked
 Two watched for the full 30 trials
 Two watched for the last 15 trials
 Observers OUTPERFORMED the models
 Models – 62s to solve trial 1
 Observers 15 trials – 57s to solve on trial 1
 Observers 30 trials – 16s to solve on trial 1
CEDP324 Ryan Sain, Ph.D. 6 3/30/2012

7. Imitation and generalized
imitation
 Observer duplicates the behavior of a model
 Imitation of a behavior may not lead to the
consequence (contingency)
 Must immediately follow
 Must look similar
 Model must be the Sd for the behavior
CEDP324 Ryan Sain, Ph.D. 7 3/30/2012

8. Generalized Imitation
 Generalized imitation (getting SR for imitating in
general)
 Baer and Sherman - Sr imitative behavior
 Puppet modeled 4 behaviors (mouthing, head
nodding, speaking nonsense and lever pressing)
 First three when imitated resulted in positive feedback
from the puppet
 Imitation of the lever press was never reinforced
 All imitating increased
 Reinforced the general tendency to imitate
CEDP324 Ryan Sain, Ph.D. 8 3/30/2012

9. Variables effecting
observational learning
 Consequences of a model’s behavior
 Consistency is important
 Consequences of the observers behavior
 Learning history
 Have you been reinforced for observing/imitating in the
past
 Model characteristics influence learning
 Attractive
 Competent – fellow student vs. lab assistant – learned
more from the assistant
 Likable
 Prestigious
CEDP324 Ryan Sain, Ph.D. 9 3/30/2012

10. other characteristics
 Attention getting
 The eye patch
 The mood
 Age
 Young ones don’t necessarily learn more than older
 Recalling what you saw (novel performances of a model)–
adults were much better
 Survival
 Polar bears and the Inuit – dangle seals
 So observing (and imitating) can increase survivability
CEDP324 Ryan Sain, Ph.D. 10 3/30/2012

11. Bandura
 Social Cognitive Theory
 4 processes
 Attentional
 Retentional
 Motor reproductive processes
 Overt or covert
 Motivational processes
 Must be value
CEDP324 Ryan Sain, Ph.D. 11 3/30/2012

12. Problems with Bandura
 Only applies to humans
 Other critters display observational learning
 Assumes the processes
 No direct observation
 Cannot separate experience from motivation, etc.
CEDP324 Ryan Sain, Ph.D. 12 3/30/2012

13. Miller-Dollard
 Reinforcement history
 The consequence of the observer is what is important
 Model does a behavior
 Observer imitates
 They are reinforced for the imitating
 Doesn’t explain imitating other non trained models
 A case of generalization
CEDP324 Ryan Sain, Ph.D. 13 3/30/2012

14. Foraging
 Imitating behavior to find food
 Half and Half tubs
 Some birds open them / some don’t
 Group 1 - 5 trials of observation
 Group 2 – 5 trials without observation (practice)
 Group one opened the tubs later, group 2 did not
 Cats and rats
CEDP324 Ryan Sain, Ph.D. 14 3/30/2012

15. TV
 The Bobo doll experiment
 Rocky the selfish child experiment
 Crime on tv leads to crime
 Strong experimental support
 Hard to test in the lab
 Not everyone imitates what they see
CEDP324 Ryan Sain, Ph.D. 15 3/30/2012