NCJ Number
44744
Date Published
1973
Length
88 pages
Annotation
THE CONCEPTS OF IMITATION AND OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR AND USES IN REHABILITATION ARE DISCUSSED IN A MONOGRAPH DIRECTED TO REHABILITATION PRACTITIONERS.
Abstract
IMITATION (OR MODELING) IS A MEANS OF INDUCING SPECIFIC CHANGES IN BEHAVIOR AS A CONSEQUENCE OF LEARNING BY EXAMPLE. OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING REFERS TO A BROADER APPLICATION OF IMITATION TO INDUCE COMPLEX BEHAVIORS. THE TYPES OF CHANGES THAT CAN BE BROUGHT ABOUT RANGE FROM THE ACQUISTION OF NEW RESPONSES TO THE FACILITATION, INHIBITION, OR DISINHIBITION OF ESTABLISHED RESPONSES. FACTORS AFFECTING THE DEGREE OF IMITATION INCLUDE MODEL-OBSERVER SIMILARITY, DEPICTED MODEL REWARDS, PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MODEL AND THE OBSERVER, AND MODEL REALISM. STUDIES HAVE DEMONSTRATED THE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT THAT OBSERVATION CAN HAVE UPON SUBSEQUENT PERFORMANCE AND HAVE INDICATED THE IMPORTANCE OF CONSIDERING THE SIDE-EFFECTS OF INDUCED BEHAVIORS ON OTHER BEHAVIORS. BEHAVIOR INDUCTION, A PROCESS BY WHICH DESIRED BEHAVIOR CAN BE INDUCED WITHOUT THE SUBJECT OVERTLY PRACTICING THE BEHAVIOR, IS PROPOSED AS A VARIATION OF IMITATION TACTICS THAT CAN BE APPLIED READILY TO MANY REHABILITATION CLIENTS. SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS INCLUDE THE MODIFICATION OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT BEHAVIOR, PERCEIVED INADEQUACY, AND TOLERANCE OF PAIN. MODELING TACTICS PROVIDE TECHNIQUES THAT CAN BE USED IN CONJUCTION WITH MORE TRADITIONAL LEARNING APPROACHES AND WITH INTERPERSONAL APPROACHES. THESE STRATEGIES MAY BE ELABORATE, REQUIRING THE USE OF VIDEOTAPES OR FILMS, OR SIMPLE, REQUIRING ONLY CLIENT EXPOSURE TO APPROPRIATE PEER OR REHABILITATION STAFF MODELS. LISTS OF REFERENCES ACCOMPANY THE CHAPTERS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LM)