What is observational learning?

• A. Learning by observing another individual do something.
• B. Learning by being told new information.
• C. Learning by trial and error.
• D. Learning by reasoning.

Answer: (A)

Observational learning is learning that happens by watching someone else perform a task and seeing the outcomes, then using what you observed to guide your own actions. It relies on attending to the model, retaining what was seen, reproducing the behavior, and having motivation to imitate, often driven by seeing the model rewarded or successful. This stands in contrast to being told how to do something, learning only through trial and error, or solving a problem purely by reasoning, because the learner gains the behavior by watching another person rather than by direct instruction, repeated attempts, or internal problem-solving alone. For example, watching a colleague complete a procedure correctly and then doing it in the same way demonstrates observational learning.