In my studio visit with Thomas O’Mahony, we discussed the kind of role-playing involved in podcasting – particularly in relation to Lions Led by Donkeys and Beneath the Skin. In these shows the host plays the role of ‘teacher’ and the co-host plays the role of ‘student’. The student is not a ‘tabula rasa’, they bring prior knowledge to the learning. In some ways the co-host is a listener insert. I’m starting to wonder if this is a form of observational learning for the listener.
Conditions for Observational Learning
Attention
To learn from the model the user must be paying attention to it.
Retention
The user must be able to remember the model.
Reproduction
The user may try to reproduce the actions of the model, but may not have the skill.
Motivation
Motivating incentives may help users to reproduce the skill.
In the model I would present in the podcast, the listener would be paying attention to the host or co-host performing, for example, image analysis. They may find the delivery method memorable, aiding retention. If they encounter an image in the ‘wild’ they may try to reproduce the methodology. What would the motivation be? Good grades? Clout? Self-learning?
However, in order to prove this I would have to run further studies! Not something I have time for now unfortunately, but interesting for the future.
References
‘Observational Learning | Psychology, Behavior & Cognitive Processes | Britannica’. Accessed 2 February 2025. https://www.britannica.com/science/observational-learning.
