Editing Observational learning (section)

{{Short description|Learning that occurs through observing the behaviour of others}}
{{Other uses|Social learning (disambiguation)}}
'''Observational learning''' is [[learning]] that occurs through observing the [[behavior]] of others. It is a form of [[Social learning theory|social learning]] which takes various forms, based on various processes. In humans, this form of learning seems to not need [[reinforcement]] to occur, but instead, requires a social model such as a [[parent]], [[sibling]], [[friend]], or [[teacher]] with surroundings. Particularly in childhood, a model is someone of authority or higher status in an environment. In animals, observational learning is often based on [[classical conditioning]], in which an [[instinct]]ive behavior is elicited by observing the behavior of another (e.g. mobbing in birds), but other processes may be involved as well.<ref>Shettleworth, S. J. "Cognition, Evolution, and Behavior", 2010 (2nd ed.) New York:Oxford,</ref>