Psychology: My Past Experience - Essay Example

Psychology Word Count: 1084 I am a 27-year old navy combat vet, a male and living in Florida. I am just finishing my degree in psychology. Being a Navy combat vet can be one of the toughest jobs around. For the entire time I have practiced as a combat veteran; I have majorly relied on survival instincts. After some time, one realizes that their lives depend on how well they have mastered the combat skills and dealing with the enemy. I think largely that both the classical and operant conditionings have applied in my case. I learnt most of the skills through repeated actions, resilience and rewards. We had military training and education that were meant to improve our capabilities and ability to withstand tough conditions. With time, I were conditioned to tough situations, became more disciplined and was “perfect’ in my role (Kirsche et al., 2004). The military education I underwent was both compulsory and voluntary, perhaps a blend between classical and operant conditioning (Myers, 2012). Before I got authorization to be on the battlefield or operate any technical equipment, I was always subjected to physical and medical examination. With time, I learnt this routine and was always psychologically ready for the procedures. To pass the tests, I had to eat right, exercise routinely and avoid alcohol. With time, I got used to these processes and endured physically. My superiors may have been tough on me, but they always had rewards for the best in given categories. This boosted my morale, and whenever I was decorated or recognized for exemplary performance, I would work harder. This represents a voluntary action that is accelerated by a reward (the promotions) (Myers, 2012). I also perfected my skills because, in the army or the military, it is always about the survival. A simple mistake means your opponents have an advantage over you. The whole nation depends on you. You are doing what you do to defend your country. I realized that my family and my country depended on me. It is kind of stimulus-response. The need to protect my country and get recognized is the stimulus. Working hard, becoming disciplined, eating right and perfecting my skills every day are some of the responses. Prior to becoming a Navy combat vet, I was taken through recruit training where I was taught basic skills in becoming a service member-the need to work in team; to always cover one another whenever we were in a combat. With time, you do some of the military operations subconsciously (Kirsche et al., 2004). It has become a daily practice and part of you. That was the case with me. Being a Navy combat vet required physical, technical and psychological drilling of service members. The drill members were charged with the task of ensuring that we were fit for military service. The rigorous exercises would be repeated at specific times until we knew what was required of us following signals. We were conditioned to respond to alarms and fake alerts even in the middle of the night. After the basic training, I underwent further training in the navy combat vet category. Here, I was taught military technology and how to use sophisticated military equipment such as telescopic binoculars even when under water. Learning these new skills-sometimes one performs more than one task at a time-requires classical conditioning. For instance, I would automatically reach for my pistol whenever I was tapped on the back, an involuntary response that had been conditioned in me following my military training. For instance, I feel the use of resocialization technique that I was subjected to was very effective in perfecting my combat skills (Myers, 2012). We were made to operate in environments that we were not used to (total institutions). For instance, we were trained in rugged landscapes and terrains, cold waters, and unfamiliar territories. I believe this was classical conditioning that was meant to accustom us to various battlefield scenes. Successful resocialization, in my view, changes one’s personality. This was particularly helpful in my career as a combat navy vet. I learnt from experience (operant conditioning); wanting to please my superiors and get rewarded for exemplary service. Personally, I was able to reconcile my ethical and moral ideals and learnt to do what was right, even if it meant killing to protect my country. Thus, whenever enemies in Afghanistan enclosed me or whenever I handled a hostage situation pitting me against Somali pirates, I reminded myself that success depends on properly executing my skills, remaining alert and never making “simple” mistakes. This borrows from my long duration of training in mock environments that would be replicated in real environments. At such times, you realize that the need to protect your own life and innocent lives comes first. I needed the recognition; I needed to do my country proud, to please my superiors (Kirsche et al., 2004). Perhaps it is because I was able to successfully complete many combat missions that led to my superiors promoting me to military elite group. The daily practice also improved my leadership and decision-making skills (Myers, 2012). After fighting many wars, one becomes accustomed to survival and combat techniques, always ready to respond accurately following a stimulus. Facing challenges and fighting through tough situations conditioned me to be a better combatant (classical conditioning). Therefore, in my view, success is about trudging on. Being a combat navy vet is a difficult task, sometimes executed is very difficult circumstances and involves keeping the country safe. I have learnt to that discipline is paramount in the military. I believe I learnt the experiences, skills and knowledge working as a combat navy vet over the years. It took conditioning and getting used to the training over time. With time, they become part of you. I learnt various self-defense skills and life skills that are applicable even to students in daily life. I believe now that even after completing my degree, I will not be intimidated by those who outperform me. Rather, I will be work alongside them as a team. I went to war with people who were more skilled than I was. I think one is in total control of their successes and attitudes (Kirsch et al., 2004). Learning takes time, whether in the military service or the classroom scenario. Perhaps my greatest encouragement to work as a combat Navy vet was that I needed to give back to my nation, and never quit when it came to protecting my people. The reward was great and worth the effort. References Kirsch, I., Lynn, S. J., Vigorito, M., & Miller, R. R. (2004). The role of cognition in classical and operant conditioning. Journal of clinical psychology, 60(4), 369-392. Myers, D. (2012). Exploring Psychology in Modules (Paper) (9th ed.). Macmillan Higher Education Read More