Modeling: It's More Than Just Imitation

Anyone who has observed or played with young children probably has noticed how they imitate what they see--their friends, siblings, parents, and teachers; television, movie, and book characters; and sometimes even their family pets. Frequently, this imitation can help children learn appropriate behaviors, attitudes, and thinking patterns. Unfortunately, it also can be harmful when the child ends up imitating behaviors, attitudes, or thinking patterns that can cause the child to act inappropriately or could cause injury. Like most things in life, how modeling occurs and who children choose to emulate are not as straightforward as everyone would hope. Albert Bandura, the founder of social cognitive theory, and others have conducted research demonstrating some of the factors that help determine who and what children and adults emulate. If teachers and parents understand these factors, they can help children to choose models who exhibit positive behaviors, attitudes, and thinking patterns. In this article, the authors explain the different elements of modeling, according to Bandura and other social cognitive theorists. They give some suggestions and examples from their own experiences of how teachers and parents can use their knowledge of these social cognitive concepts to help young children choose appropriate models. Language: en