The purpose of this article is to help coaches apply specific principles of psychology to the coaching process. More specifically, the work of Albert Bandura and his social cognitive theory form the basis for the article. This article begins with a brief overview of Bandura's social cognitive theory. It then examines four types of behaviors worthy…

Imitative behavior in kindergarten children was either reinforced or not reinforced prior to seeing a male aggressive model. The children were tested for imitation and retention of the behaviors. Study provides support for both contiguity'' and generalized imitation'' theories of social modeling. (ST)

Traditional learning theories stress that people are either conditioned through reward and punishment or by close association with neutral or evocative stimuli. These direct experience theories do not account for people's learning complex behavior through observation. Attentional, retention, motoric reproduction, reinforcement, and motivational…

The article describes an emerging approach to the development of training known as behavior modeling, based on the principles of social-learning theory. Applications of modeling and social learning to training and reports of successful behavior-modeling programs in various businesses are included. (MF)

The purpose of this paper is to review some of the current research in "modeling" or "imitation" learning that supports basic elements of social learning theory, its effects on overt behavior, and its relationship to subjects' self-evaluations. An attempt is made to point out the theoretical discrepancies that exist between social learning, social…

This study investigates the possibility that the reinforcement strength of stimuli can be enhanced by observational learning as well as by pairing with unconditioned reinforcers. The reinforcement strengths of two candies were determined for 40 preschool children as measured by rate of response on a button pressing apparatus. The children then…

A considerable body of knowledge has been built around the concepts of imitation and observational learning. The purpose of this monograph is to introduce the rehabilitation practitioner to this information and to discuss its implications for and uses in rehabilitation practice. First, we will define imitation and observational learning and…

The paper defines and discusses various social learning theories. Central to most theories of how an individual acquires socially acceptable behaviors are the processes of imitation, or observational learning, and identification, or modeling. The effectiveness of each process is noted. (SB)