Priming the Individual or Collective Self

The public self is often times not the true self. This indication of a difference between the public and true self leads to the idea that the self and identity of an individual are different concepts. The self, is a person’s essential being that makes each individual unique compared to others; whereas the identity, is a person’s character that is essentially created to help the individual fit into society. These two concepts begin to form early in life through influences from society, family, and culture. However, as the individual beings to assimilate the world around them, their sense of identity transforms in order to adapt to the new environment, while their sense of self remains the same.

There are various kinds of identity (individualized or shared) that people are expected to possess. (Hollinger, 2004) namely; personal identity which is known as a

Psychological research may be undertaken on a subset of society; however the importance of the results may have an effect way beyond the group tested. The value of psychological research varies and the same results can be used in different ways by different groups of society.

It is the act of using key phrases or words to subconsciously influence how one’s mind acts and thinks in a certain way. The study done by two Dutch researchers where two groups of people were asked to answer questions from the game Trivial Pursuit after having thought about either being a professor or soccer hooligans shows the difference priming can make. The group of people who thought of being a professor, being in a “smart” mindset, answered the 55.6% of the questions correctly, while the soccer hooligans group answered only 42.6% correctly. Priming could open the door to many different ways to look at testing in schools or the effects of everyday life on students. Such as, if a student is told repetitively that they are not capable of a certain grade or other achievement, that will instill in them the idea that they truly are incapable. Priming can also be used to encourage students and help them with their grades or other achievements. The connection between priming and a better mindset, therefore result creates potential for opportunities to be handled in a way that benefits everyone

Priming is when subtle triggers we are either aware of or not aware of influence our behavior. Gladwell has the reader imagine that he is a professor proctoring a scrambled-sentence test where students were asked to walk down a long hallway into an exam room where they were given an exam with a list of five-word sets and asked to change each word set into a grammatically four-word sentence as fast as possible. The test was not difficult but the college students walked down the hallway more slowly than they walked towards the classroom. This is because ingrained in the list were certain words that were associated with being old. This test, which was developed by a clever psychologist named John Bargh, makes our adaptive unconsciousness ponder about the state of being old. Further research suggests that individuals can be primed to behave differently, various words may be used to influence people to be polite or rude. Malcolm Gladwell demonstrates how a simple scramble-sentence test challenges your sub consciousness into believing that you are much older by simply

Maintained through self-reflection, this identity of the self

In the short-film “i”, the audience experienced the journey of Chris Ladd as he worked to determine his true identity. His journey reflected the change in ideas and measurement of personality over time. He ultimately concluded that there isn’t a way to label one’s own identity, but rather all measurements are simply descriptors. To arrive at this conclusion he partook in the three major methods of personality study: Subjective, Objective and BLIS-Data Inventories. Through these tests, it was present that though major themes were continued throughout the process for Ladd, each measurement gave a different and incomplete answer. This led me to believe that if I were to also study my own identity, I would use similar but look at the results through a different lens, specifically one of introspection.

This theory looks at how we present ourselves in social situations in terms of our identity.

An individual’s identity has an impact on our behavior (Bibble, Bank, Anderson, et al., 1985). According to Thorits and Virshup (1997) they assert that there are categories that individual’ s employ to explain themselves, which comprise sociodemographic characteristics such as social roles, social types, or personality traits. These categories guide identity-relevant behaviors based on identity ideals associated with meanings and expectations (Eifert, Adams, Dudley,

Richard M.Ryckman , Theories of Personality, Ninth Edition. 2008, 2004 Thomson Wadsworth, a part of The Thomson Corporation

The world has become modern and global. Identification of the self is a complicated, though, an important problem of every individual. Self- identity is based on inner values and reflections on culture, politics and social interactions. The main point is that people label themselves to any particular group in the society (Worchel etc., 1998). According to Ferguson: “Identity commonly refers to which it makes, or is thought to make

Two prominent researchers, B.F. Skinner and Albert Bandura, have developed theories which provide differing perspectives and explanations regarding the learning behavior of individuals. The purpose of this writing is to explore the theoretical perspectives of Operant Conditioning Theory developed by B.F. Skinner and Social Learning Theory developed by Albert Bandura. An overview of both theories is presented, followed by a discussion of their similarities and differences.

On the topic of “self” versus “no self,” I believe that there is a core self, a unique sense of identity as separate from others, and that seeks self-actualization. However, like Hoffman, Stewart, Warren, and Meek, in their 2009 article “Toward a Sustainable Myth of Self: An Existential Response to the Postmodern Condition,” I believe that the self develops within a framework provided by the society in which the individual lives in, which contains aspects of self that are fluid enough to appropriately suit the individual within the appropriate context to their perceived role in society and their environment. I also believe that the separation of self into two categories physical self, and spiritual self, are integrated into the individual’s

An individual’s identity is shaped and created by many factors such as family, culture, and friendship groups (Trepte, S. 2206). The individual’s personal identity of “self” may alter when interacting with any of these groups due to the influence and the characteristics these groups possess (Burke, PJ. Sets, JE. 2000). The human desire to feel a sense of belonging is the driving force for individuals to create themselves around particular groups (Trepte, S. 2206). When people find out that their experiences, thoughts and feelings are mirrored by other people, an immediately connection is formed due to the understanding that they are not isolated in their experiences (Rogers, W.S. 2011). The common ground individuals find in others, allows for the formation of groups (Trepte, S. 2206). The “commonality” amongst certain groups of people allow for Social Categorization (Burke, PJ. Sets, JE. 2000). Social

Self concepts begins in childhood but it continues to develop throughout life. As we observe how other people react to us, we modify our “self.” The “self” is never a finished project, and it continues to change as our life takes different turns. Our “self” reacts to the environment that we are in.