This work studied the effects of work experience and instructions on the ability of 59 observers to recognize target behaviors in an observational learning paradigm similar to existing ones. The effects of 2 key factors hypothesized to affect the recognition process in observational learning were also examined. Results show only observers with a minimum of work experience were able to consistently recognize targeted behaviors. In addition, recognition was influenced by the level of detail of instructions given to the participants. Finally, characteristics of the model behaviors greatly affected recognition: overall, examples of negative behaviors were better recognized than were positive examples. Behaviors whose consequence was shown were also better recognized than those that were neither reinforced nor punished in the video. These results are discussed in terms of their implications for design of observational learning as a training strategy in complex and applied social learning situations.
Abstract