Which Bandura factor concerns how useful the observed information is to the observer's goals, influencing willingness to imitate?

• A. Attention
• B. Retention
• C. Modeling
• D. Motivation

Answer: (D)

Motivation is about whether the observed behavior seems useful for achieving the observer’s goals, so imitation is worth the effort. When the anticipated rewards or outcomes of copying the behavior align with what the person wants—whether through external reinforcement, observed consequences for others, or internal desires like solving a problem or improving skills—the inclination to imitate rises. This makes the behavior more likely to be reproduced because the benefit exceeds the cost.

Attention and retention are about noticing and remembering the model and the information, while modeling refers to the act of demonstrating the behavior itself. They are essential steps in learning, but they don’t hinge on how useful the behavior is to the observer’s goals in the way motivation does.