What term best describes the process of changing behavior based on observing others?

The term that best describes the process of changing behavior based on observing others is modeling. This concept, rooted in social learning theory, indicates that individuals can learn new behaviors by watching others and then imitating those behaviors. Modeling emphasizes the role of observational learning, where one observes a role model or another individual, retains the observed behavior in memory, and later reproduces it.

In this context, modeling goes beyond mere imitation; it encompasses understanding the behavior and its consequences by observing the interactions of others in various social scenarios. This process highlights that individuals do not need to directly experience reinforcement or punishment to learn; they can acquire behaviors simply by watching how others are rewarded or punished for their actions.

Reinforcement, while important in behavior change, refers specifically to the use of rewards or consequences to strengthen or weaken certain behaviors rather than the observation and replication aspect. Conditioning pertains to learning through direct experiences (like classical or operant conditioning) rather than through the observation of others. Imitation typically describes the act of copying a behavior without the deeper cognitive processes involved in modeling.

Thus, modeling accurately captures the essence of learning through observation, making it the appropriate choice for this question.