Elena and Clara both play musical instruments.
Elena plays the violin in a community orchestra. Elena’s son, Hugo, hears the audience applauding his mother after performances, listens to her friends praising her skill, and sees her receiving flowers. Hugo is an enthusiastic music student who is eager to practice his cello and join the school band.
Clara is learning the piano but struggles with it. Her son, Lucas, hears her music tutor harshly criticizing her mistakes, sees Clara crying in frustration after stressful lessons, and hears her complain about aching fingers. Lucas is very anxious about his school music lessons and refuses to learn an instrument.
How might vicarious reinforcement explain the different attitudes of Elena's and Clara's sons to playing musical instruments?
84 exam-style questions on AQA A Level Psychology Learning approaches. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.