vicarious reinforcement

the process whereby a person becomes more likely to engage in a particular behavior (response) by observing another individual being reinforced for that behavior. An important concept in social learning theory, vicarious reinforcement often leads to imitation: for example, a student who hears the teacher praise a classmate for neat penmanship on an assignment and who then carefully handwrites his or her own assignment is considered to have received vicarious reinforcement. See also observational learning.

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Psychology term of the day

April 29th 2024

lecanomancy

n. a system of divination in which a sensitive or clairvoyant looks into a basin, bowl, or vase of water, often after rocks have been dropped in or oil has been added, and sees alleged visions of the future or interprets the observed patterns or ripples. —lecanomancer n.