Observational learning facts for kids
Observational learning is a cool way to learn new things! It happens when you watch what other people or animals do. It's like learning by example.
For humans, this kind of learning doesn't always need a prize or a treat. Instead, you learn from someone you look up to. This could be a parent, a brother or sister, a friend, or a teacher. For kids, a model is often someone with authority or higher status.
In animals, observational learning can be a bit different. Sometimes it's linked to what's called classical conditioning. This is when an animal's natural reaction is triggered by watching another animal. For example, birds might gang up on a predator after seeing other birds do it.
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How Humans Learn by Watching
Many things we learn by watching, remembering, and copying are not taught on purpose. For example, a child might learn bad habits like swearing or hitting by seeing others do it. Albert Bandura, a famous researcher, said that children are always learning good and bad behaviors this way. Observational learning shows that your surroundings, your thoughts, and your actions all work together. They decide how you act and what you copy from others.
When people learn behaviors by watching others, these actions can spread through a group. This is called a diffusion chain. It happens when one person learns something by watching someone else. Then, that person becomes a model for others to learn the same behavior.
Your Culture also plays a big part in how much you learn by watching. In some cultures, children are expected to be very involved in their communities. This means they see different jobs and roles every day. This helps children observe and learn important skills and practices that are valued where they live.
Albert Bandura is famous for his Bobo doll experiment in 1961. He showed how this basic type of learning works. Observational learning is super important because it helps people, especially kids, learn new ways to act by watching others.
Bandura believed that our surroundings can really affect how we behave. Observational learning happens when we see both good and bad actions. He thought that our environment influences us, and we also influence our environment. For example, the Bobo doll experiment showed this. Children in an aggressive environment acted aggressively. But children who saw a calm model hardly showed any aggression.
In places where kids mostly learn by watching, they are often with adults during daily activities. This lets them use their observational learning skills in many parts of life. Learning this way means they have to pay close attention. Culturally, they learn that their help and involvement are important. This teaches children that it's their job to watch others. This way, they can slowly get involved and take part more in their community.
How Animals Learn by Watching
When an animal needs to do a task, it usually does better if it watched another animal do it first. Studies with different animal types show the same thing. Animals can learn behaviors from other animals they are around. However, it's important to know the difference between a behavior spreading and a behavior sticking around. An animal might only do the behavior once. In that case, the behavior isn't stable. Research shows that social learning can spread a behavior. But other things also help a behavior spread from one generation of animals to the next, creating an animal culture.
Fish Learning
Experiments with small fish called ninespine sticklebacks showed something cool. These fish use social learning to find food. They watch where other fish find food and then go there themselves.
Pigeons Learn Socially
In 1996, a study at the University of Kentucky looked at how pigeons learn socially. They used a device where pigeons could get food. A pigeon could either peck at a pedal or step on it to get food. The study found that pigeons often used the same method to get food as the pigeon they watched.
Crows Learn Socially
The University of Washington studied crows and how they learn. It's easier for a crow to learn by watching others than to figure things out alone. But learning from others can sometimes lead to mistakes. Researchers showed wild crows a special "dangerous face" mask. They did this while trapping, banding, and releasing crows in Seattle. Crows that had been caught before immediately "scolded" the mask. This showed they learned the mask was dangerous. Crows that had not been caught also scolded the mask. This meant they learned from the group of birds that gathered during the capture.
Learning from friends is called horizontal social learning. Learning from parents is called vertical social learning. Crows that recognized the dangerous face without being caught showed horizontal learning. Young crows whose parents were caught learned to scold the dangerous mask. This showed vertical learning from parents. Crows that were caught themselves were best at telling the difference between dangerous and normal masks. This was better than crows who learned from their friends. Crows' ability to learn doubled how often they scolded. This behavior spread over 1.2 kilometers in one area over five years.
Observational Learning in Daily Life
Observational learning helps us learn new skills in many areas. Watching demonstrations helps us improve our skills and behaviors.
Learning Physical Activities
Learning physical activities means learning anything that needs body movement. This could be learning a sport, how to eat with a fork, or how to walk. Many things are important for improving physical skills and reactions through observational learning. Modeling is a key part of this. The skill level of the person demonstrating matters. If someone is showing how to throw a baseball, they should throw it perfectly if they are a "mastery model." Another type is a "coping model." This person might show a skill they haven't fully mastered yet. Both types of models can be helpful. They can be used to boost observational learning in practice, games, and even during recovery from injuries.
Images for kids
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Watching others ski helps you learn.
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Learning to play the Djembe drum.
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Mayan villagers.
