According to our text, chapter 6, page 210 and again on 250, learning is defined as an "experience that causes a permanent change." In regards to Bandura's Bobo experiment, our text shows that when the children observed the adult model's behavior, it was quickly assimilated, and repeated. The text also states that the children in the study showed sensitivity to consequences of observed actions (Bandura, Ross, & Ross, 1963), which shows that they not only had the ability to repeat the behaviors they witnessed, but to also to understand the difference between punishment and praise for specific behavior, and respond accordingly. Children are like little sponges, they soak up all that they see and hear, and at times, display their learning at the most inopportune moments. I feel certain that most of us have experienced our children saying or doing something that they have observed us doing, that we wish they had not. The upside is that we as parents learn from our mistakes and are more aware of our behavior when the children are within earshot or in direct view.
I have two sons, Brad and Jeff, who are 13 months apart in age.Brad was always an over achiever and wanted to learn about everything he saw. He had to understand the mechanics of everything he touched, even when it had consequences or held painful results. Brad was about seven years old when we decided to block certain channels on the television, because Brad was learning from the shows he was watching. He decided to rig outrageous jumps for his bicycle after watching Evel Kinevel perform dangerous stunts on his motorcycle. Even trips to the emergency room and broken bones did not hamper Brad's adventurous spirit. On the upside, Jeff would observe Brad's actions, results, and stay away from endeavors that caused physical harm or came with punishments attached. Jeff did not have to experience such things for himself, because he was learning by observing his older brother.
(2) Discuss your own theory about how observational learning occurred in regards to the Bobo Experiment. How does this compare to Bandura’s idea that for observational learning to occur one must give attention to the behavior, retain the observation of the behavior, have the motor skills to carry it out and also have the motivation to do so?
My understanding of the mechanics behind Bandura's Bobo experiment involve more than mere observation of specific behaviors. When the adult model displayed aggressive behavior towards Bobo, it captured the attention of the children, because they learn by adult example in their every day life. When the behavior was seen as acceptable, they reasoned that they too could behave in the same manner. Their memory of what they had seen was then repeated with great accuracy in displaying their own aggressive behavior toward Bobo. The children who witnessed punishment for such behavior were able to reason that they would be punished for similar behavior, and were less aggressive.
In my high school childhood development class, I read a poem by Dorothy Law entitled, "Children Learn What They Live." As I recall, it basically states that with children, you get out of them what you put into them, so if you show a child aggression, they will behave aggressively. However, if you show a child love and kindness, they will display it in return. What was true then is still true today. Children watch violence on television and mimic the aggressive behaviors seen towards other children. Modern video games are even worse and children spend many hours a day playing video games. They show extreme violence, including theft, murder, and rape, and children become desensitized by such actions to the point of some acting out such behaviors without remorse. I feel that Bandura's idea that attention, memory, ability, and motivation are necessary components of observational learning, and easily perceived and perpetrated by children of only 4 years of
Stated earlier was that learning can not be directly observed because this process takes place in the brain. Other measures are taken to make sure learning is evident. Sometimes no behavioral change is observed although learning has still occurred. This is called latent learning or hidden until one needs to utilize what was learned. This absence of performance has been aptly referred to as the “problem of behavioral silence”. If an experience does not produce a change from behavior, then it is not…
PSYCH/550 March 24, 2014 Learning Paper Learning has been a central topic in psychology since its inception as an independent science (De Houwer, Barnes-Holmes, & Moors, 2013). According to Terry (2009), learning is the acquisition of knowledge and a relatively permanent change in behavior that occurs as a result of experience and can be physiological, behavioral, or verbal. Knowledge encompasses verbal knowledge, habits and skills, attitudes, and behavior separate from conscious…
Emotional, Behavioral, and Physical Disabilities Samantha Towns Grand Canyon University: SPE 226 October 5, 2014 Introduction Margaret Mead once quoted, “children must be taught how to think, not what to think” (Goodreads: Quotes about Education). In this assignment, it will be talking about children with emotional and behavioral disorders, physical disabilities, health impairments, and traumatic brain injury. It will go on to describe what can be done in order to help not only the child, but…
Behavioral Science Article For this assignment I read the article “Physical exercise improves learning in zebrafish” by Ana Carolina Luchiari and Diana Marques Martins Chacon. The main idea of this article was to see how exercise affected learning in the zebrafish. The authors related this study to humans with degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Dementia. Zebrafish were chosen to be the center of this experiment, due to their strong genetics, simple neural pathways, brain structure…
Valley State University College of Education Recently schools have adopted new behavioral programs issued by The Center of Positive Behavioral Interventions. These programs offer information for school wide programs that teaches students to model good behavior such as a workshop that teaches students the positive way to respond to a situation with a bully. These programs are set up with the goals of decreasing behavioral problems, office referrals, and suspensions; increasing on task engagement and…
both a field of science focused on understanding and managing organizational change and as a field of scientific study and inquiry. It is interdisciplinary in nature and draws on sociology, psychology, and theories of motivation, learning, and personality. Behavioral science has provided the basic foundation for the study and practice of OD, however new and emerging fields of study have made their presence felt. Organization development is a growing field that is responsive to many new approaches…
Concept of Learning Natasha Veruchi Psych 550 March 25, 2013 Greggus Yahr, PhD. Concept of Learning Learning is a concept that has evolved over time. In the following paragraphs there will be a thorough description of the concept of learning. Learning is the acquisition of knowledge and the concept deals with taking that knowledge and using it to further the education. There also be a segment on the difference between learning and performance. Finally, there will be a compare and contrast…
of a child's life. B. F. Skinner was a humanist, philosopher, and the foremost behavioral scientist of the 20th century. He discovered how immediate reinforcement determines future behavior through its relation to individual actions. He originated “shaping,” a technique of producing new behavior by immediately reinforcing small steps. In Walden Two, and Beyond Freedom and Dignity, Skinner argued that behavioral science was essential for improving the human condition. In the 21st century, shaping…
this class, I realized that there were many professions that I was interested in that use Behavioral Science. Professional careers, such as Police Officers, 911 Dispatchers, Nurse, Doctors, Customer Service Reps and basically anyone that deal with people or have the need know how people think and act would benefit from the study of behavioral science. One profession that I would be very interest in learning more about would Forensic Psychology. This profession is something I have always been interested…
biological factors. Psychological treatments focus on the personality, interpersonal communication and learning (eg counselling, psychotherapy), whereas biological theories focus on explaining that the depletion of particular chemicals (neurotransmitters); serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine, are the main cause of depression and focus on treatment with antidepressant medications (The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies [ABCT], n.d). Biological explanations postulate that depression must…