Factors Affecting Observational Learning: Vicarious Reinforcement

We’ve now seen that the first factor affecting observational learning is identification, which means…

Identification means that people are more likely to imitate a model if they feel similar to the model.

Now, the second factor affecting observational learning is vicarious reinforcement.

For instance, this is Sierra [a teen]. Sierra is at a concert, having a great time seeing her favourite band.

Suddenly, the lead singer starts smoking a cigarette on stage. The crowd loves it. They think she is so cool, and they start cheering.

Sierra sees this and thinks, smoking means people will think I’m cool.

Sierra wants people to think she’s cool too! So, she starts smoking too.

Here, Sierra saw…

Sierra saw the singer receive a reward for her behaviour.

And seeing the singer receive a reward for her behaviour made Sierra want to imitate the singer’s behaviour!

Now, when someone is more likely to imitate a model, because they have seen the model’s behaviour being rewarded, we say they have learned by vicarious reinforcement.

So, if Tiger practices his golf skills because Earl praises him every time he hits a golf ball, that’s…

That’s positive reinforcement, because Tiger is receiving a reward for his own actions.

And so, Tiger is learning through operant conditioning.

But, if Tiger practices his golf skills, because he sees Earl get praise from others for hitting a golf ball, that’s vicarious reinforcement, because Tiger is watching someone else get a reward!

Now, when learning occurs through positive or negative reinforcement – like we saw in operant conditioning – we call that direct reinforcement.

But, when the learner observes the direct reinforcement of a model’s behaviour, it’s vicarious reinforcement

So, now, which of these are examples of direct reinforcement or vicarious reinforcement?

This is an example of direct reinforcement, because someone is learning through positive or negative reinforcement.

Whereas in this example, they are learning by watching someone else receive direct reinforcement – so this is an example of vicarious reinforcement.

Next, we already saw in the behaviourist approach that, when a negative outcome makes someone less likely to repeat a behaviour, that’s called …

When a negative outcome makes someone less likely to repeat a behaviour, that’s called learning through punishment.

For instance, if Chloe’s hangover made her less likely to go out drinking the following weekend, then she learned through punishment.

Whereas, if Chloe had stayed in, because she observed her friend struggle through a hangover all weekend, we can say that Chloe learned through…

If Chloe stays in, because she observes her friend struggle through a hangover all weekend, we can say that Chloe learned through vicarious punishment.

And vicarious punishment makes the learner less likely to imitate the model’s behaviour!

So, to sum up, vicarious reinforcement is…

Vicarious reinforcement is when someone imitates a model because they observe the model’s behaviour being rewarded.

Whereas vicarious punishment is…

Vicarious punishment is when someone is less likely to imitate a model, because they observe the model’s behaviour being punished. And…

A learner is less likely to imitate a model’s behaviour if they observe vicarious punishment, but more likely to imitate the behaviour if they observe vicarious reinforcement.