Modeling of Behavior

Think back to when you were little. You may have seen your mom put on lipstick and tried to get into her makeup drawer to put lipstick on yourself. Or maybe you watched your teacher demonstrate how to solve a math equation and copied the procedure down in your notebook.

In these instances, you were trying to replicate a behavior by learning from a model. We often learn through observing other people, especially as children. But, learning through modeling does persist throughout our lives. For example, in a yoga class, the instructor will demonstrate the pose and flow for you to then follow. This technique is also common in organizational settings. When starting a new job, you might spend time shadowing a colleague to understand how to perform your responsibilities.

It doesn’t have to be formal. Everywhere we go, we are looking at other people for cues on how we should behave. Sometimes we subconsciously model behavior without being told to imitate it; other times, we are directed to observe a behavior closely to replicate it. 

We also alter our behavior based on the values and norms of those around us. For instance, If your parents value education and you often see them reading books or listening to podcasts, you might also adopt those values—modeling after them. Social norms impact us in this way too. For example, in Japan, it is considered rude to accept a phone call while on a train. If you find yourself visiting and notice that no one is on their phone, this would signal the local norms, prompting you to imitate the behavior. In contrast, if you live in Canada or the US, where speaking on the phone on transportation is common, you are likely to model that behavior as well.

Traditionally, there are four steps involved in the modeling of behavior¹:

1. Attention. To learn a new behavior, you have to be paying attention to the model performing it. Without focused attention, learning will not occur effectively.
2. Retention. After you’ve noticed a behavior, to replicate it, you have to remember the observed behavior. This involves encoding the behavior in memory so it can be recalled later.
3. Reproduction. You must have the physical and mental ability to perform the observed behavior. (Just because you see someone at the gym deadlift 300 pounds does not mean you have the strength or skill to reproduce that behavior—at least not without training!)
4. Motivation. You have to have a reason to replicate the behavior. Motivation can come from external rewards, intrinsic satisfaction, or the expectation of positive outcomes. For example, if you notice that your friend scores really high on their math exams, you might be motivated to organize your notes in the same way they do.