psych

School-age children are particularly susceptible to operant conditioning, including learning by observation, or modeling. Children who imitate those they admire (parents, teachers, sports and entertainment figures) derive reinforcement from “being like” their heroes. A potent source of models for the school-age child, like the younger child, is television. By watching television, for example, children learn a great deal about the various roles they may play during their lives, including gender roles, parental roles, and friendship roles. Unfortunately, many of the behaviors modeled on television reflect undesirable stereotypes and antisocial behaviors that may cast a shadow on the child’s future social development. The good news is that prosocial behaviors, when they are modeled on television, are just as influential and apt to be imitated as are antisocial behaviors.