Social learning scientists have shown that much of learning that occurs during development is acquired through observation and imitation. When asked, most of us would agree that children learn from role models and imitate behaviors of those they admire. The question then is not, “Do children imitate adults?” But, “Which behaviors of adults do children imitate?” And, “How can we make it more likely they will imitate positive versus negative behaviors?”
There is no shortage of negative role models for our children in today’s society. Children and adolescents imitate the actions and appearance of video, movie, and television stars. However, today’s media is not promoting family values and modeling pro-social behavior for children. Many parents would cringe to think their daughters would want to imitate some of today’s trendy appearances and behaviors.
While children do indeed look to the ....