Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 2, 2025

Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties
Published on: September 27, 2020
Abstract:
For the past year, many around the world have said, "Me Too." Women, trans folks, and increasingly men have shared their experiences of sexual assault, harassment, and unhealthy power dynamics in their personal and professional relationships. These experiences were not a surprise to people in bioethics, especially as they relate to the control of women's bodies and behaviors that we have observed in medicine, law, and society. In The Hastings Center's work in reproductive contexts, I have learned about women whose reproductive decisions or choices are negatively affected by external forces-either by restrictive laws and policies, explicit counsel from their physicians, or implicit pressures placed on them by society. Any person with a uterus can be forced to take contraceptives if they want access to other medications that could harm a fetus, even when they are not sexually active with men. And some women of color are criminalized for miscarriages. How can those of us working in reproductive ethics be even more attentive to these experiences and to the impact of gendered power dynamics on reproductive decision-making?
Related Concept Videos
Observational Learning
Purposive Learning
Introduction to Learning
In contrast to learned behaviors, unlearned behaviors such as crying, sexual...
Cognitive Learning
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
Steps in the Modeling Process
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...
Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness
Avoidance learning occurs when an organism learns that a specific behavior can prevent an unpleasant outcome. For example, a student who receives a bad grade may start studying harder to avoid future poor grades. This behavior persists even when the negative outcome is no longer present. Avoidance learning is powerful because it maintains behavior in the absence of the...

