Ian, age 2, was watching his father hammer a nail. His father hit his own thumb and then used several expletives. As his father went in the house for a Band-Aid, Ian went over to the nail, picked up the hammer, pretended to hit his finger, and repeated the expletives. This is an example of what kind of learning?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This scenario illustrates observational learning, which is the acquisition of behavior by watching others perform the behavior. Ian saw his father's behavior (using expletives when hitting his thumb) and then imitated it when he pretended to hit his finger with the hammer.

Ian, Age 2, Was Watching His Father Hammer a Nail