Reinforcement and observation are important parts of how we learn. They are key ideas in two big theories: Behaviorism and Social Learning Theory.

Behaviorism

• Reinforcement: This means rewards or punishments. For example, if a child cleans their room and gets complimented, they are more likely to clean their room again. B.F. Skinner, a psychologist, explained this idea with something called operant conditioning. It means that our actions can change based on what happens after we do them.

Social Learning Theory

• Observation: Albert Bandura talked about how we can learn just by watching others. For instance, if a child sees their older sibling sharing toys and being praised for it, they are likely to copy that behavior. One famous study, called the Bobo doll experiment, showed that children can learn aggressive behaviors just by seeing them.

In simple terms, reinforcement helps people do things more often if they get rewarded. Meanwhile, observation lets people learn by watching others. Both ideas show how learning happens in our everyday lives.