Introductory Psychology CLEP Prep Practice Exam

Observational learning differs from classical conditioning because it primarily focuses on acquiring knowledge from others through observing their behavior, while classical conditioning involves the conditioning of behaviors through the use of rewards and punishments. Additionally, observational learning is a conscious process where individuals actively pay attention to, retain, and reproduce observed behaviors, while classical conditioning can occur unconsciously through repeated pairings of a neutral stimulus with a reflexive response. Options A, C, and D are incorrect because they either focus on different aspects of learning or attribute incorrect processes to each type of learning. An individual's decisions or memories may play a role in learning, but they are not the defining difference between observational learning and classical conditioning.