Factors Influencing Observational Learning in Social Science: Understanding Why Some Students Imitate Behaviors and Others Don’t

Mauricio’s mother is worried that when Mauricio sees his uncle smoking cigarettes, he will want to do the same. However, Mauricio does not seem interested, and his mother’s fears turn out to be unfounded. Which of the following statements best explains why students do not learn from observing everyone in their environment?

Students are selective in who they observe, and they attend to those individuals they perceive to be role models.

The observation and learning process are not always direct or linear. Just because a student observes someone engaging in a behavior does not necessarily mean that they will imitate it. The decision to imitate a behavior depends on various factors such as the relevance of the behavior to the student’s goals or needs, the perceived benefits of the behavior, the social norms and values related to the behavior, and the student’s motivation and self-control. In this case, Mauricio may not be interested in smoking or may have a strong sense of self-control and awareness of the harm associated with smoking. Therefore, he does not imitate his uncle’s behavior despite observing it.

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