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16

Observational Learning

OUTLINE OF RESOURCES
Getting Started
Activities and Demonstrations

Critical Thinking Activity: Fact or Falsehood? 468 Building Vocabulary: Graphic Organizer: Concept Web 468

The Nature of Observational Learning

Digital Connection

DVD: Further Approaches to Learning 469 Film: Observational Learning 469

Activities and Demonstrations

Application Activity: Acquiring a Skill Through Observation 469

Observational Learning of Violence from the Media

Activities and Demonstrations

Analysis Activity: Violence in Childrens Media 470 Cooperative Learning Activity: The Power of Role Models in Advertising 471

Alternative Assessment/Portfolio Project: Role Models 471 Handouts

16-1 Fact or Falsehood? 16-2 Concept Web: Observational Learning

MODULE OBJECTIVES
After completing their study of this module, students should be able to: describe how Albert Bandura demonstrated the principles of observational learning. discuss how observational learning can lead to prosocial and antisocial behaviors. debate how media affects violent behavior and attitudes.

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MODULE OUTLINE Getting Started

Activities and Demonstrations
Critical Thinking Activity: Fact or Falsehood?

Concept: Students preconceptions about psychology can color their understanding of the material. This quick exercise can expose inaccurate preconceptions and reinforce preconceptions that are correct. Materials: Handout 161 Description: Before reading the module, distribute the handout to students. They should circle T if they believe the statement is true and F if they believe the statement is false. The correct answers to Handout 161 are shown below and can be confirmed in the text. 1. F 5. T 2. F 6. T 3. F 7. F 4. T Discussion: This activity can be an effective pre-reading strategy. Students will be primed to look for information that confirms or negates their own preconceptions, making them more likely to be attentive to difficult concepts.
Building Vocabulary: Graphic Organizer: Concept Web

Concept: Graphic organizers provide a visual format to help students organize their notes from the text. With concept webs, students can visualize the relationship among terms in the module, giving the students an extra method of processing. Materials: Handout 162 Description: Distribute Handout 162 to students at the beginning of the modules lessons. There are two possible uses for this handout, depending on your needs and the needs of your students: Students can read the module and complete the handout independently as a vocabulary exercise in preparation for a quiz or module test. Students can fill out the handout during the modules lessons as the terms are discussed. The handout then becomes a note-taking device and will help students who are independent learners or who have special needs (see below for detailed descriptions of this handouts usefulness in these areas). Discussion: This concept web helps students see how the concepts of observational learning are related to each other. (Answers to this handout are available in the Answer Key.) Independent Learning Option: Students can fill out the organizer independently using the text either as class work or homework. If you decide to lecture from the text, students can fill out the information as you discuss it. You can use this handout or the version of this handout with the answers (from the Answer Key) as a master copy from which to make a transparency. You can then project the concept web and either write in answers as you lecture or show the completed concept web for students to check their work. Cooperative Learning Option: Students can fill in the organizer in groups of two or more as a class work assignment. You can use the master copy of the version of this handout with answers (from the Answer Key) to make a transparency and project a correctly completed concept web for groups to check their work after they have finished. 468
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Option for Exceptional Learners: Often, individualized education plans call for teachers to provide notes for students with special needs, so the graphic organizer can come in handy to help these students with notes. You can either provide these students with a completed organizer to use as a guide during class lectures and discussions, or you can provide a blank organizer for them to complete while other students take traditional notes. The organizer may be taken home to complete as a reading comprehension guide for the textbook. Making Multicultural Connections: Nonnative English-speaking students can visualize the relationships between words, aiding in the encoding process. Providing this opportunity to encode visually using the concept web may help them translate the meanings of the words more quickly.

The Nature of Observational Learning

Digital Connection
DVD: Further Approaches to Learning

This is a useful program for highlighting the cognitive processes in learning. It provides a good bridge from classical and operant conditioning to observational learning, as well as to subsequent text modules covering memory, thinking, and language. Coverage includes research on latent learning (learning that becomes apparent only when there is some incentive to demonstrate it). Cognitive processes are also evident in research on insight learning, social learning, and learning sets. The program includes archival footage featuring B. F. Skinner and Robert Epstein, who used behaviorist techniques to demonstrate apparent insight learning in pigeons. The tension between radical behaviorists and cognitive theorists becomes evident as Skinner, speaking just before his death, claims that reinforcement rather than higher mental processes are at work in learning. (Films for the Humanities and Sciences, 57 minutes) For ordering information, please visit www.films.com.
Film: Observational Learning

This film is helpful in reinforcing and extending the text material on modeling. Narrated by Dr. Robert Liebert, a pioneer in research on the effects of television viewing, the film shows a clip of the original Bobo doll experiment conducted by Bandura and Walters. Viewers see how young children imitate an aggressive adult model. Other segments include a demonstration of vicarious emotional conditioning and the Papago Indian project in which children were taught concept formation by film modeling. Finally, the detrimental effects of television and filmed violence are discussed: Children may learn antisocial behavior when exposed to aggressive, negative models in the media. (MTI, 25 minutes) For ordering information, contact MTI Teleprograms, 108 Wilmot Rd., Deerfield, IL 60015. Activities and Demonstrations
Application Activity: Acquiring a Skill Through Observation

Concept: Bem Allen offers practical advice for mastering valuable everyday skills: Be highly conscious and thoughtful in observing a model who possesses some ability you lack. In addition to finding a model who will allow you to watch, you would benefit from obtaining the active cooperation and support of the model. Materials: none Description: Have students choose an activity or skill they would like to improve. They should then choose a role model who excels at that skill. Ideally, they should choose a role model whom they personally know or one that is accessible for them to interview and observe. Over the course of time (to be determined by the teacher), students should record their experiences by observing their role model in several situations. In these
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situations, the role model should demonstrate a skill, which the observational learner can address by responding to the following prompts: What was the context of your observation of the role model? What techniques did the role model use to prepare for or enhance his or her performance? How did the role model adapt to the situation he or she encountered? Students should also spend time interviewing their role model about the skill. Students can use the following questions as part of their interview: What particular strategies do you use to prepare for demonstrating your skill? How do you feel when you are using your skill? How do you adapt to your surroundings while using your skill? What advice can you give to those who would like to improve their abilities with this skill? Discussion: Many everyday skills lend themselves to being learned by observing a modelfor instance, public speaking. Allen illustrates how a student might learn to speak well in public. According to his advice, the model might be a member of the student government or an officer in a school club who often speaks in public. Allen also mentions that personally knowing the model will likely help students in gaining the models cooperation. He advises that students begin by identifying their own problem areas with public speakingfor example, beginning a speech, which is typically a critical and often frightening part of public speaking. Allen suggests that students observe how their model begins a speech. For example, the model may tell a funny story, or talk off-the-cuff, without notes, about reasons why the topic is important. When students have seen enough to feel ready to try it on their own, they may begin a speech in a nonthreatening setting with the model in attendance for later consultation. Students may also repeat this process for ending a speech or keeping an audience interested, along with other aspects of speech-making they find important or difficult. By repeating this cycle of asking pertinent questions of their model, having him or her demonstrate the answer, and then practicing in the presence of the model, students gradually gain confidence with regard to their own performance. Eventually, they will be able to perform regularly and effectively on their own. Alternative Assessment/Portfolio Project Options: Students can submit their journals and interview transcripts as part of a portfolio project described at the end of this modules resources. Additionally, students can demonstrate their new skills before the class in a showcase of abilities and skills.
Source: Allen, B. (2000). Personality theories: Development, growth, and diversity (3rd ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Observational Learning of Violence from the Media

Activities and Demonstrations
Analysis Activity: Violence in Childrens Media

Concept: The text discusses the vast number of violent acts children are exposed to in various forms of media. Students can analyze how much violence is in media that children may be exposed to on a regular basis. Materials: various forms of media to which children may be exposedInternet sites, video games, television programs, and videocassettes/DVDs Description: As a class, operationally define what age group of children the class will be exploring and what constitutes a violent act. By deciding on these definitions, each student will be able to discuss violence in childrens media in the same context. 470
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Have students view childrens media (video games, television shows, Internet sites, etc.) over a 1-week period, counting the number of violent acts they watch or interact with. Have them record the type of media, its title, the age it is geared toward, and the number of violent acts contained in that media. Conduct some simple statistical analyses of the data the students bring to class, discussing whether these acts contribute to the increase of violence in society today. Discussion: This activity can be done in class collectively as you gather several of the media for viewing by the class as a whole. You may also divide students into groups and have them analyze childrens media for different age groups to cover the range of media for children from birth to adolescence. Another variation might include finding videos of programs from the students own childhoods and comparing them with programs popular with children today.
Cooperative Learning Activity: The Power of Role Models in Advertising

Concept: The text discusses four conditions that should be met if observational learning is to take place. Advertisers rely on these conditions to create effective campaigns. This activity helps students analyze the techniques advertisers use to create role models in their ads. Materials: several popular print magazines Description: Divide students into small groups and give each group a couple of magazines. Instruct groups to find several ads that include celebrities. Have students address the following questions about the ads: How does this ad capture your attention? If the celebrity in the ad appeals to you, how so? What qualities do you associate with this celebrity? Do these qualities relate to the product that is being advertised? Students can also find ads for products that do not include celebrities and analyze what these ads do to promote attention, retention, and motivation. Bring the class together after their small group discussions to list some of the techniques students discovered. Discussion: Companies choose celebrities with certain public images to advertise products. Usually, these celebrities are enticing to advertisers if they have a wholesome, appealing, and popular public image. Celebrities who experience trouble with the law, especially for heinous crimes like murder, are dropped from their advertising commitments. O.J. Simpson was the spokesman for Hertz rental car company before his arrest and trial for the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole, and her friend Ron Goldman. Tonya Harding, an Olympic figure skater, was on the cover of a Wheaties cereal box before her arrest and conviction for trying to sabotage her skating rival Nancy Kerrigan. It seems that advertisers want celebrities who people would be motivated to copy.

Alternative Assessment/Portfolio Project: Role Models

Concept: Students can improve a skill by choosing a role model and observing his or her behavior over a period of time. Materials: Application Activity: Acquiring a Skill Through Observation Description: The associated activity details a project in which students identify someone who possesses a skill they want to improve in their lives, and through interviews and observation, the students learn techniques to change their behavior. Students can demonstrate their newfound skills in a class talent show. Discussion: Students should be able to identify the elements of observational learning after going through this project. The goal of this activity is to teach students the importance of role models, especially discussing the qualities of an effective role model. Effective role models are usually similar to the observer in gender and race/ethnicity. In addition, the behavior learned should be performed similarly to the role model.
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Name _______________________________________ Period _________________ Date ____________

HANDOUT 161
Fact or Falsehood?
Circle the letter T if you believe the statement is true and the letter F if you believe the statement is false. 1. Humans are the only animals that can learn behaviors merely by observing others perform those behaviors. 2. Animals can learn only when rewards are given directly to them. 3. Children imitate antisocial models more readily than positive, helpful ones. 4. People can learn to do any activity simply by watching others perform the activity. 5. All people in the public eye are role models whether they like it or not. 6. On average, high school graduates spend more time watching television than attending school. 7. Violence in the media is usually a realistic representation of the pain and harm inflicted on the victim.

T T T T T

F F F F F

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Name _______________________________________ Period _________________ Date ____________

HANDOUT 162
Concept Web: Observational Learning
Directions: Fill in the spaces with the definition of the term and/or the term itself.

Albert Bandura: Observational learning:

Modeling/Models:

There are two different ways models can influence behavior.

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ANSWERS TO HANDOUT 162

Concept Web: Observational Learning

Albert Bandura: Stanford psychologist who conducted groundbreaking research in observational learning Observational learning: learning by observing others

Modeling/Models: the process of observing and imitating a specific behavior / the person observed in observational learning

There are two different ways models can influence behavior.

Antisocial behavior: negative, destructive, unhelpful behavior

Prosocial behavior: positive, constructive, helpful behavior

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Answers to Handouts Module 16 Observational Learning