Psychological Strategies for Improving Motivation and Learning — Strategy 2: Vicarious Reinforcement

Observing the reinforcement of others

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Various researchers (Cruz & Cullinan, 2001; Maslow, 1987; Ointrich & Schrunk, 2002) have demonstrated a strong positive correlation between motivation and achievement. Motivated learners approach tasks eagerly, exert high levels of effort, and persist in the face of difficulty. When students lack adequate motivation, they often become restless and disruptive in the classroom as well. Borrowing from the behaviorist and social learning theory perspectives, teachers can employ various strategies to encourage positive classroom behavior, increase motivation and facilitate student achievement.

Vicarious Reinforcement

The process of vicarious reinforcement refers to increasing the probability or frequency that a behavior will be repeated based upon the individual observing another person being reinforced for that behavior (Ormrod, 2004). Bandura (1986) argued that learners were not entirely dependent upon immediate environmental experiences to modify their behavior. He posited that vicarious consequences, which are observed and interpreted rather than being experienced directly by the learner, can act as strong mediators of behavior, serving to elicit new reactions…