Tressa is playing with her dolls. Her mother compliments her on how nicely she has dressed them. This makes Tressa more interested in her dolls and in hairstyling. Which theory does this exemplify?

The answer is social-cognitive learning.

Explanation:

According to social-cognitive learning theory, learning occurs through social interaction. One of the ways this might take place is through observation. For example, a child might learn how to brush his teeth by observing and imitating one of his parents. In the passage, however, learning is occuring through positive reinforcement. This means we are more likely to repeat a behaviour when there is a pleasant outcome.