Observational learning is a component of Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory

Social Learning Theory

The theory that people can learn new responses and behaviors by observing the behavior of others.

 (Bandura, 1977), which posits that individuals can learn novel responses via observation of key others’ behaviors. Observational learning does not necessarily require reinforcement, but instead hinges on the presence of others, referred to as social models.

Bandura theorizes that the observational learning process consists of four parts:

1. attention: one must pay attention to what s/he is observing in order to learn.
2. retention: to learn one must be able to retain the behavior s/he is observing in memory
3. initiation: acknowledges that the learner must be able to execute (or initiate) the learned behavior.
4. motivation: to engage in observational learning. The child must want to learn how to play the game in order to properly engage in observational learning.