Modeling Behavior

Albert Bandura is the theorist most associated with our understanding of modeling. According to Bandura modeling can teach new behaviors, increase the frequency of forbidden behaviors and increase the frequency of similar behaviors. For example, modeling  can teach a new behavior because if a child see a parent say thank you to the checkout clerk at a store every time they're out, the child will learn to say thank you to the checkout clerk every time they go to the store.

An example of increasing frequency of a forbidden behavior is when a parent yells at their spouse in front of the children so that a child yells at the parent as well whenever they talk to the parent. From a discipline perspective  modeling can teach and increase desired behaviors. Negative behaviors can increase through modeling as well. The exception to the rule is modeling. Modeling is both a cognitive and behavioral process of social learning because it's the process where a person observes the actions of others and copies them.

Modeling works when a child first observes the behavior of the model, and after the behavior of the model is reinforced, the child repeats the behavior. For example, a child may see a sibling set the table every day before their parents get home. One day, the sibling may not be home to do it, so the child who observed the sibling setting the table every day may set the table in the siblings absence.

The reinforcement of the models behavior is called vicarious reinforcement and is the behavioral part of modeling. The ability of the child to imitate the model's behavior and motivation to do so make up the cognitive part of modeling. Modeling both real and symbolic can effectively teach pro-social  behaviors.