Which concept is associated with Observational Learning in the theoretical base?

• A. Classical conditioning
• B. Shaping
• C. Prompting
• D. Modeling

Answer: (D)

Observational learning relies on watching others perform a behavior and then reproducing it. The concept most closely tied to this process is modeling—a demonstration of the target behavior by a model (teacher, peer, or video) that the learner observes and imitates. In Bandura’s framework, attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation determine how well the modeled behavior is learned and then carried out. In practice, modeling helps children see the steps of a task, understand expected actions in social contexts, and practice them, often with reinforcement to strengthen imitation. The other options describe different learning processes: classical conditioning pairs stimuli to evoke responses; shaping reinforces successive approximations to a target behavior; prompting provides cues to elicit a response without necessarily relying on learning by observation. So, the concept associated with observational learning is modeling.