Learning and Memory Process - Assignment Example

Profile Report This report compares and contrasts the answers provided by the interviewees X and Jason. Learning and memory process Interviewee X prefers to learn by observation and has the ability to give directions to a place that X has earlier visited. Jason also prefers to learn by observation. Interviewee X prefers to work in silence to avoid distraction whereas Jason prefers distractions as they force him to concentrate. Quietude makes his mind wander. Interviewee X’s preference to work in silence points to the use of committing work to the long term memory. Jason displays a preference to utilize short term memory for his work since it has the capacity to focus on the work at hand despite distractions around. The use of short term memory allows for ‘two domain specific working memory systems to operate at the same time with very little interference (Morris & Maisto, 2005, p.230).’ Personality profile Both the interviewees have undergone the Myers’ Briggs personality test and agree with the results of ESTJ. E- Extraverted, S- Sensing, T- Thinking and J- Judging that have emerged. The Myers’ Briggs Personality Test draws from Jung’s theory of personality and lists 16 personality types. People who come under the type ESTJ have a tendency to actively take charge and organize things. They take responsibility to complete their jobs in a perfect manner (Morris & Maisto, 2005, p. 70). They are quick to decide and may tend to be aggressive. They tend to be conscientious and take their commitments seriously. (Morris & Maisto, 2005, p. 140). Interviewee X wants to be taken seriously and is careful to avoid being misunderstood. To the extent of making the right impression and being clearly understood, the interviewee is self monitoring. The interviewee is conscious of the impression being created and is keen to avoid being seen as aggressive which can lead the listener away from the objective to be met. Besides, the interviewee reveals a self perception of being a Type A personality and likes to be in charge of people. Interviewee X does not make an indication of listening to the sensitive or more intuitive aspect of himself or herself. The interviewee displays a sense of optimism regarding the manner in which he/she presents himself/herself due to the belief that this is under his/her control (Morris & Maisto, 2005, p. 23). Jason is self monitoring when it comes to being independent and able of taking care of himself. While this trait of independence led to trouble during his growing years, he has transformed into a person who feels good about his capabilities and his ability to take care of others. In his relationships, he is conscious about his behavior with the partner and is in touch with his sensitive side. However, when it comes to communication, Jason does not view himself as self monitoring. He is not aware of whether he has been clearly understood. The awareness of not having made a communication clearly happens when another person points it out. He feels that in trying to correct the situation, he tends to make it worse than before. He feels that insecurity is the driver behind his attitude. This is likely to make it difficult for Jason to lead a group of people towards a common goal since the good intent will get overlooked because of the direct, aggressive approach to communicating. Jason displays pessimism since he feels that the reason for his approach to communication is directly linked to a feeling of insecurity, which he does not clearly mention as being a factor under his control. As mentioned above, the fluid situation on the home front would have led Jason to adopting an aggressive communication style with scant regard to the manner in which he was viewed. The absence of control led him to going ahead and communicating and acting in the manner he knew best. This behavior, though successful in the family, may lead to being viewed as abrasive and keep people away from him. A commonly held view among psychologists and psychiatrists is that individuals with an aggressive and tough behavior pattern are actually anxious and insecure under the surface (Smith & Pellegrini, 2000). Interviewee X was brought up by a step-father and biological mother. Though the biological father tried to be involved with the interviewee, there was a limit to the extent of involvement. The step-father was a good parent and the interviewee expresses the desire to be able to do good even ‘when they do not have to’. The mother of the interviewee had gone through the loss of a spouse, a divorce on grounds of infidelity and managed two children singly for 9 years. Yet she had never lost her capacity for happiness. The interviewee appreciates this capacity in the mother and wants to emulate her. Thus, the judgment in the interviewee’s mind with respect to the mother’s attitude towards life shows an understanding of the trauma she had to undergo and the strength she has had to face the situations. The interviewee expresses a desire to look to the future in a positive mental frame. Interviewee X feels that the goodness of the step-father and the positive attitude of the mother in times of emotional adversity have been the major contributory factor towards the development of his/her personality. Social learning theory indicates that a large part of learning happens through observation of other people’s behavior. This form of learning involves paying attention to the display of behavior, committing the learning to memory and converting the learning to action (Morris & Maisto, 2005, p. 216). The conversion to action is the most important aspect of learning. The Interviewee is sensitive to the manner in which communication is received and wants to be taken seriously. This may stem from having seen the mother cope under trying circumstances and adopting an assertive communication style and avoiding ambiguity in the mind of the recipient. Jason recounts how his mother’s mental illness and the difficulties in his parents’ marriage lead to his trying not to let himself become like her and ensure that his marriage does not turn out like his parents’. The overall lack of parental guidance due to the fathers long work hours and mother’s condition and the age disparity between himself and his siblings led to a sense of isolation. Jason was not included in his sister’s games since they had distinct preferences. The absence of his father led to his being unable to do the things that he wanted to. A lasting impression on that Jason recalls is the sight of his father being dependent for six months after surviving a car accident. He recalls the dependence and length of time taken to recover by a person whom he had viewed as being strong. Being the only child of his parents and the only son led to differential treatment towards him by the family, he got the things he asked for. Low attention in the family and a willingness to give him what he asked for led to his getting into trouble more often. His mother’s rapidly changing mental condition, the absence of understanding from his sisters and the absence of his father would have led to contradictory emotions in Jason at a young age. Having witnessed the tumultuous relationship between his parents and seeing his father hurt after a car accident would have created a sense of insecurity in him. It also led him to be more self-sufficient, strong and able to take care of himself. His sisters were in bad relationships and he tended to be flirtatious as he tried to behave better with the women he was in relationships with. He chose not to hurt women as he had seen men in sister’s lives do. His experience on joining the Marine Corps made him feel good with his own achievements and about helping others. The experience at the Marine Corps seems to have instilled a sense of discipline and training in Jason that was lacking in the home front and made him realize his streak of independence and of helping others. Both interviewees believe that there is a direct connection between gender, race and ethnic background with personality and attitude. Interviewee X believes that gender, race and ethnicity define personality and attitude. The belief is that that which makes the individual will contribute towards behavior and perception. Jason feels that ethnicity, race and gender have a direct impact on behavior, perception and the reactions of others whom one interacts with. He maintains that the feelings and insecurities are determined by gender. Motivation Motivation may be extrinsic or intrinsic. Extrinsic motivation refers to a focus on the consequences of an activity while intrinsic motivation refers to the conduct of an activity for its own sake (Morris & Maisto, 2005, p. 332-333). There is a possibility of reduced rewards having an inverse effect on the motivation in case of extrinsic motivation whereas positive feedback and reward only enhance motivation in case of intrinsic motivation while the absence of a reward does not affect motivation. Interviewee X believes that he/she is more likely to be extrinsically motivated. The incentive or reward would increase the pace at which a task would be done by him/her. At the same time, the respondent feels that this is a selfish attitude. This motivation seems to be in conflict with the interviewee’s desire to look forward to the future in a positive mental frame as he has seen his mother do. Jason, on the other hand, displays a preference for doing a job that he likes or ‘feels like doing’. The intrinsic motivation comes from the nature of the job rather than the reward it will bring him. Jason’s independence at a young age and his exploratory behavior seem to have aided Jason in identifying and conducting tasks in a manner that satisfy him. Bibliography Morris, Charles G. and Maisto, Albert A. (2005). Psychology: An Introduction. Prentice-Hall. Bayne, Rowan. (1997). The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator: A Critical Review and Practical Guide. Nelson Thornes. Smith, Peter K. & Pellegrini, Anthony D. (2000). Psychology of Education. Taylor & Francis. Read More