Question 13

A parent shows a child how to clean their room and then the child does it on their own.

Observational learning is demonstrated when the child learns a behavior by watching the parent and then successfully replicates that behavior independently. This example illustrates the process where the child applies what was observed to perform the task.

A) A parent helps the child clean each time the child's room is messy.

This option does not illustrate observational learning, as it suggests direct assistance rather than the child learning by observation. The child is not performing the task independently after watching the parent, which is a key component of observational learning.

B) A parent repeatedly shows a child how to clean their room but it remains messy.

While this option involves the parent demonstrating the cleaning process, it indicates that the child is not learning or applying the behavior. The lack of independent action from the child means that observational learning has not occurred.

C) A parent takes away computer privileges until a child cleans their room.

This choice reflects a form of operant conditioning rather than observational learning. The child is being motivated to clean through the removal of privileges, rather than learning the cleaning behavior by observing the parent.

D) A parent shows a child how to clean their room and then the child does it on their own.

This is the correct example of observational learning. The child observes the parent's demonstration and is then able to execute the task independently, which is the essence of learning through observation.

Conclusion

Option D exemplifies observational learning effectively, as it highlights the child's ability to learn a behavior by observing the parent and then performing it independently. All other options fail to capture this learning process, either by involving direct help, lack of independent action, or different learning principles altogether.