This document discusses observational learning, which is a change in behavior that occurs due to observing and watching the behavior of others. It describes classical conditioning studies where observers showed conditioning responses after watching a model receive shocks or eye blink conditioning. The document also discusses operant observational learning studies using monkeys and cats. It reviews factors that influence observational learning like the characteristics of the model and consequences received by the model. Finally, it briefly discusses theories of observational learning like social cognitive theory and Miller-Dollard modeling.

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