Final answer:
The advantage of observational learning is that it allows for rapid adaptation, enabling individuals to quickly learn and apply new behaviors by observing and imitating others.
Step-by-step explanation:
An advantage of observational learning is that it provides rapid adaptation. Observational learning, differing from classical and operant conditioning, involves learning by watching others and then imitating or modeling their behaviors. This allows for the effective and expedient acquisition of new skills and behaviors without the need for personal trial and error. To illustrate, if a young child watches a parent tie their shoes, they can quickly learn this skill through observation and imitation. Similarly, a young surfer like Julian can learn to surf quickly and effectively by observing the successful techniques of his father, Ben. Unlike behaviors that are innate or learned slowly over time through trial-and-error, observational learning can facilitate immediate application of observed behaviors in novel situations.