Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 12, 2026
07:52
Investigating Motor Skill Learning Processes with a Robotic Manipulandum
Published on: February 12, 2017
Teacher versus peer models revisited: effects on motor performance and self-efficacy
Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport
|June 1, 1991
Summary
Observing a skilled model significantly improves motor performance and self-efficacy beliefs in young females. Model skill, not status, is more influential for unfamiliar models in motor skill acquisition.
Area of Science:
- Motor learning and development
- Social cognitive theory in sports psychology
Background:
- Previous research by Landers and Landers (1973) explored model influence on motor performance.
- The role of model characteristics (skill, status, type) requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To reinvestigate and extend findings on skilled vs. unskilled teacher and peer models.
- To examine the impact of model skill and type on motor performance and self-efficacy.
Main Methods:
- 100 sixth-grade females were assigned to skilled/unskilled teacher/peer model groups or a control.
- Participants observed models on the Bachman ladder task and completed self-efficacy questionnaires.
Main Results:
- Skilled model groups outperformed unskilled model groups in motor performance.
- Skilled model groups reported higher self-efficacy post-performance compared to controls.
- Skilled model groups were more efficacious than unskilled model groups after observation and performance.
Conclusions:
- Model skill is a more salient factor than model status for unfamiliar models in motor skill learning.
- Observing skilled models enhances both performance and self-efficacy in young learners.
Related Concept Videos
03:00Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
01:14Steps in the Modeling Process
Albert Bandura's theory of observational learning identifies four critical processes: attention, retention, motor reproduction, and reinforcement or motivation.
Attention is the first necessary component for observational learning. It involves focusing on what the model is doing and saying. For example, if you decide to take a drawing class to enhance your skills, you need to pay close attention to the instructor's words and hand movements. The characteristics of the model significantly...
Attention is the first necessary component for observational learning. It involves focusing on what the model is doing and saying. For example, if you decide to take a drawing class to enhance your skills, you need to pay close attention to the instructor's words and hand movements. The characteristics of the model significantly...
01:26Modeling in Therapy
Modeling, a key technique in therapy, uses observational learning to help clients acquire and practice new skills by watching therapists demonstrate desired behaviors. This approach, rooted in Albert Bandura's concept of vicarious learning, plays a significant role in therapeutic interventions for various psychological conditions, including social anxiety, ADHD, and depression.
Participant Modeling
Participant modeling involves therapists demonstrating calm and effective behaviors in situations...
Participant Modeling
Participant modeling involves therapists demonstrating calm and effective behaviors in situations...
01:29Self-Evaluation Maintenance Model
The Self-Evaluation Maintenance (SEM) model offers a psychological framework to understand how individuals’ self-esteem is influenced by the achievements of others, particularly those with whom they share close personal bonds. The SEM model operates when personal rather than social identity guides individuals. Central to this model is the notion that individuals have an inherent desire to preserve a favorable self-image, which is continuously shaped by interpersonal comparisons and...
01:24Sources of Self-Esteem II: Performance Feedback
Self-esteem is intricately tied to our perception of competence and our ability to exert control over our lives. One of the primary sources of this perception is performance feedback — the ongoing evaluation of our actions in terms of success and failure. According to Franks and Marolla (1976), people derive self-worth from experiencing themselves as causal agents, capable of achieving goals and overcoming obstacles. This process nurtures a critical component of self-esteem: self-efficacy,...
01:29Self-Efficacy
Self-efficacy is the belief in one's capacity to organize and execute actions necessary to manage prospective situations. This belief significantly influences how individuals approach goals, tasks, and challenges across different domains of life.Psychological and Educational ImpactsIndividuals with strong self-efficacy are more resilient in the face of difficulties. They are more likely to adopt effective problem-solving strategies, persist through obstacles, and regulate emotions such as...