A skill essential for successful inclusion in general education settings is the ability to learn by observing others. Research, however, has documented children with autism display significant deficits in the fundamental skills necessary for observational learning. This article outlines the skills essential for observational learning from an…

Results suggest that the age composition of peer groups influences the performance of peer-modeled information, thus providing an indication that imitation of peers is a selective process influenced by the relative age of the model to the observer. Data also suggest that observational learning is a complex process involving considerable…

Three experiments examined peer imitation with 14- to 18-month-old infants in laboratory, home, and day-care settings. After a delay, infants imitated actions performed by trained peers. Found that infants' recall of peers' actions was lower for infants imitating actions at home after a two-day delay than for infants imitating actions in the…

The investigation systematically assessed whether four autistic children (5 to 7 years old) would improve their learning of discrimination tasks if they observed normal children perform the task correctly. In each case, the peer modeling procedure produced rapid achievement of the acquisition criterion which was maintained after the peer models…

Two peer-imitation training procedures, each consisting of adult-delivered prompts and social reinforcement, were employed in two separate experiments to increase five retarded preschool children's imitation of their four nonretarded classmates' free-play behavior. (Author/DLS)

Evaluates the effectiveness of the progressive time delay procedure in art activities involving disabled and nondisabled preschoolers, whereby teachers progressively delay corrective assistance to disabled pupils attempting to imitate their peers. Found that using the progressive time delay procedure produced high levels of imitation in a nearly…

This paper reviews research on observational learning, including model characteristics and observers' responses, vicarious reinforcement as implicit punishment, vicarious effects on students with problem behavior, observers' other characteristics and vicarious effects, and aggression and vicarious processes. Regular class placement of students…

The effects of model age and competence on the imitation behavior of 80 educable mentally retarded boys (mean age 12.2 years) were investigated. (Author/PHR)