Modeling: what is it and what are its types in Psychology?

Observational learning is very important for the development of people. A large part of the skills we acquire depends on observing the behavior of others, especially during childhood.

In this article we will describe what modeling is, one of the terms used to describe certain facets of social learning. We will also explain the processes that allow modeling to occur, and what types of modeling exist.

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What is modeling?

Modeling is a type of learning that is based on imitation of the behavior performed by a model, usually someone else. This process happens on a daily basis and can be used as a therapeutic technique to facilitate the acquisition and modification of behaviors.

The term "modeling" has a meaning similar to those of "Imitation", "social learning", "observational learning" Y "vicarious learning”. Each of these concepts emphasizes a different characteristic of this type of learning.

Thus, while "modeling" highlights the fact that there is a role model, "social learning" is a broad concept that emphasizes paper. of this process in socialization, and "vicarious learning" means that the consequences of the model's behavior are learned by the observer.

Modeling has different functions. Mainly serves to acquire new behaviors, for example manual skills, but it can also inhibit or disinhibit behaviors; this depends on the person's expectations regarding the consequences.

It is considered that Albert Bandura is the most prominent author in the field of modeling and social learning. The experiment that he carried out in 1963 with Richard Walters is well known, which showed that children imitated or not the behaviors of adults depending on whether they observed that they were rewarded or punished.

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Processes involved

According to Bandura, learning by modeling takes place thanks to verbal and imaginative mediation: when we learn by imitation, we do it through symbolic representations of observed behaviors and its consequences.

For this author there are four processes that allow behavior to be acquired and executed. Attention and retention are necessary for the acquisition of the target behavior, while reproduction and motivation are necessary for execution.

1. Attention

People only learn new behaviors by observation if we are able to pay attention to the behavior of the model. Different types of variables facilitate or hinder the care process.

For example, we more easily imitate models that resemble us in their characteristics physical or social, as well as those that we perceive as prestigious and those who obtain greater rewards.

The probability of learning by imitation also depends on the subject itself; thus, anxiety and sensory deficits, such as blindness, make it difficult to attend to the model. On the other hand, we tend to imitate other people to a greater extent. if the situation is uncertain and the task is of medium difficulty.

2. Retention

In order to imitate a behavior it is necessary that we be able to represent it in the form of images or verbally without the model being present. Cognitive review of the model's behavior is very important for retention.

Another relevant variable for the maintenance of learning is its significance, that is, that we can associate it with other previous learning. Of course, the physical characteristics of the person also play a role; for people with dementia it is much more difficult to acquire a behavior, for example.

3. Reproduction

Reproduction is the process by which learning is transformed into behavior. First an action scheme is generated equivalent to the observed; then the behavior is initiated and the result is compared with such a mental scheme. Finally, corrective adjustments are made to bring the actual behavior closer to the ideal.

4. Motivation

Learning can occur without imitation being performed; Whether this occurs ultimately depends on the functional value that the person attributes to the acquired behavior. The expectation of reinforcement intervenes in this process.

There must be a probability of obtaining incentives for the behavior; These can be direct, but also vicarious and self-produced. Therefore, motivational processes are key in imitation.

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Types of modeling

The different types of modeling are classified according to many different variables, such as the difficulty of the behavior to be imitated, the capacity of the model or the social adequacy of the behavior. Let's see what they are the most important types of modeling.

1. Active or passive

We speak of active modeling when the observer imitates the behavior of the model after observing it. In contrast, in passive modeling the behavior is acquired but not executed.

2. Of objective behavior or intermediate behaviors

The criterion of distinction in this case is the difficulty in imitating behavior. If the target behavior is simple, it can be directly modeled; However, the more complex it is, the more difficult it will be to reproduce it, so in these cases it is divided into different simpler behaviors, which are called "intermediate".

3. Positive, negative or mixed

In positive modeling, learned behavior is seen as appropriate by the social environment, while in the negative, a disruptive behavior is acquired. For example, when a son sees his father assaulting his mother. In the case of mixed modeling, an inappropriate behavior is learned and then an acceptable one.

4. Live, symbolic or covert

In this case, the relevant variable is the way the model is presented. If this is present, it is live modeling; if observed indirectly, such as in a video recording, the modeling is symbolic; finally, we speak of covert modeling if the person who learns does so by imagining the behavior of the model.

5. Individual or group

Individual modeling occurs when only one observer is present, while in the group the number of people who learn the behavior is greater.

6. Single or multiple

The distinction is similar to that of the previous case, although the number of models varies and not the number of observers. When modeling is multiple generalization of learning is greater because the subject is exposed to different behavioral alternatives.

7. Modeling or self-modeling

Sometimes the person who models is the same one who observes; in such cases we refer to the process as "self-modeling." Symbolic self-modeling using video montages has proven very useful for the treatment of selective mutism.

8. Participatory and non-participatory

We talk about participatory modeling when the observer interacts with the model, which can also administer boosters; this would happen in the case of therapists or speech therapists, for example. By contrast, in non-participatory modeling the subject does not relate to the model but only knows the consequences of her behavior.

9. Mastery or coping

The criterion that distinguishes these two types of modeling is the degree of competence of the model. In domain modeling, the person to be imitated has from the beginning the ability to execute the target behavior correctly, without errors.

By cons, the coping models are acquiring the skills necessary to carry out the behavior, similar to the process that will take place in the observer. This type of modeling is considered to tend to be more efficient than domain because it is more meaningful to the observer.

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