Modeling Collecting Behavior: Collecting Dolls - Essay Example

Modeling Collecting Behavior: Collecting Dolls Introduction Collecting is a human behavior that can be commonly observed. Collecting is a normative human behavior, which is found to be different from hoarding disorder (Nordsletten and Cols 165). Since it could be a normative behavior then almost everyone must be able to experience it some point in their lives. However, not everyone is into collecting items or stuffs. Some people are fond of collecting things as their all time favorites during their childhood. However, some people find it less important to value those things they considered valuable from the past, so they do not put much effort on collecting them. Some people also have the affinity for collecting things like books for instance. Some of these people were not particularly exposed to reading in their childhood but a remarkable number of them were also exposed to the fun associated with reading stories and so on. It is therefore hard to prove the psychology behind why people collect things. This paper focuses on the collectible dolls arguing the psychological reason to doll collecting connects back to collector’s childhood. The proponent wants to prove that doll collectors collect dolls because of their childhood, perhaps for the fulfillment of childhood desires, or the nostalgia and memories of the dolls they had as children. What is collecting? As stated earlier, collecting is a normative behavior so there is always a chance for people to find themselves engaged in the hobby of items or stuffs collection. There are many reasons why an individual may engage in the collecting. A certain study reveals that collecting behavior could be due to financial and non-financial reasons which could give insight to manufacturers on how they could exploit collectors’ behaviors (Carey 336). In other words, collecting can be directly attributed to either financial or non-financial factors. For those antique collectors, having classic and valuable collections could be a form of prestige or if they are business oriented, these could be a form of good investment as they are seeing positive return. In fact, collecting is also a form of investment (Satchell and Auld 215; Barzilay 245). However, there are people who also find collecting things valuable even if this may not have financial intrinsic value. For example, those who are avid readers do not only find the pleasure in reading but this could be a form of personal achievement for them in gaining substantial knowledge and information. As a result, collecting books is way beyond a hobby but could become a lifestyle for them. As reading by itself is a lifestyle then this could be associated with a way of providing always a chance for self-exposure to books of a specific genre of choice. Thus, book collections could be among the fundamental indicative lifestyle of people having affinity for reading activity. Some people are also collecting stuffs because these could give them personal satisfaction even if this may not have financial value. For instance, there was a manager who was fond of collecting toy cars and placed them in his office. This could remind us a very important implication about his past especially during his childhood. However, disregarding this point, we could remarkably say that this manager eventually found the pleasure of what he was doing. That is why collecting in behavioral finance is considered an irrational economic behavior in human decision making (Johnstone 53). This is due to the fact that when there are no financial considerations associated with collection stuffs, there could be less inclusion of profit making in it. For this reason, it could be determined as irrational economic behavior as there might not be direct gaining of profit associated with it. However, the value of happiness or joy associated with it cannot be exactly determined how much monetary value could be most likely apportioned to it. On the other hand, collecting is a luxury consumption associated with one’s culture (Belk 73; Elsner and Cardinal 10; Gelber 96). This finding is linked with some studies conducted in investigating the human behavior towards collecting. According to these studies, adults have come to the point of collecting stuffs because of the influence they might have probably acquired from their culture. It is important to deal a bit focus on this because studying culture is also relevant in studying the human behavior. In a specific culture, there is a collective manifestation of actual or even specific behavior. For this reason, it is important to understand the concept of influence. Since collecting could be considered an irrational economic behavior then it could also be considered a luxury due to the consideration of its value that could not be directly compared to the values of actual human basic needs. Since it is a luxury, then there must other intrinsic value associated with it that could not be determined based on monetary values. However, if luxury is part of the culture, then luxury itself has become the essential component of the actual human behavior for that certain group or culture. At this point, it is important to consider that the actual culture is necessary to be evaluated in great detail and to be understood why it existed in the first place. Based on psychological perspective, it would be more convenient to identify this culture based on the remarkable behaviors involved. However, others are hooked on collecting because of the associated value involved in collectible items. Based on a study, collecting is found to be connected with the desirability of the collectible items (Apostolou 410). For this reason, this research points out the reason why men collect things. In this research, there was a strong consideration of collecting items that could be determined based on gender. It is implied in this study that men engaged in collecting things because they are after of what they can get out from collectibles. Collecting is also associated with self-expressionism. And this is manifested among individuals with a passion to collect art, for which there is an inclusion of self-expressionism. There are individuals who constantly collect works of art and some of them are doing so because this would be how they could showcase self-expressionism. As noticed, there are many probable reasons why people go hooked on collecting. All of these reasons have substantial point because they are based on certain studies with associated scientific findings. However, if one would critically consider collecting as not just a hobby or anything, it is actually a complex human behavior. In psychology, one essential point on how to understand what is going on inside the mind of a person is to consider its actual behavior. From behavioral perspective in psychology, there is a strong emphasis on observable behavior versus the internal mental process (Feldman 17). However, by observing the observable behavior there could be a great chance to actually explain the actual internal mental process within an individual. After all, it would be impossible to look in detail the actual mental process, but this could only be made possible by observing and studying actual behavior. In psychology, there is always a reliable inclusion of studying human behavior because it would be the actual basis of understanding the consistency of individual action and internal mental process. Studying the person’s behavior towards collecting is therefore important prior to understanding the actual internal mental process of that individual towards collectibles. In this paper, the proponent tries to elaborate collecting dolls as the actual behavior, but there must be associated internal mental process prior to showing this action. This is the very point of the paper in which there is a great deal of consideration of the individual’s past and the associated fascination with dolls. For this reason, it is important to critically consider the psychology of collecting in detail. This would mean understanding the actual human behavior associated with collecting stuffs. In this case, collecting dolls should be proven as the fulfillment of childhood desires, or the nostalgia and memories of the dolls they had as children. This is eventually possible because as stated from the previous discussion based on a study, collecting is tied up with financial and non-financial factors. At this point, we need to consider in detail these non-financial factors that are strongly relevant with behavioral concerns. The psychology of collecting According to Freud, collecting is “the passion to possess” (Barker 2). One remarkable characteristic we could see from the behavior of a child especially when they are still in growth years is their ability to possess things. They want to acquire more which is going to be their personal satisfaction and even fulfillment when they get what they want. A one-year old boy for instance may be quite attracted to certain things as he tries to discover everything around his surroundings. In the same way, a one-year old daughter may be quite satisfied with what her parents might give to her like doll. Since this doll is entrusted to her, her concept of possession is formed prior or along with her cognitive development. However, in the stage of cognitive development, children are most likely to behave in experimental ways (O’Brien 51). However, this is also a way for them to be influenced by their environment from the standpoint of behavioral and humanistic psychological perspectives (Feldman 17). However, cognitive development proceed during childhood which according to information-processing approaches, there is inclusion of awareness of the environment and including increase in speed of processing, attention span and memory (Feldman 232). In a civilized life, collecting is found as a way to ensure rights and ownership (Bhatia 155). Children have already acquired the concept of rights and ownership as they are constantly exposed to what they have substantially learned from their actual environment from the stand point of behavioral and humanistic perspective particularly during their cognitive development. Children at some point based on the influence from the environment learned the concept of possession, which has become maturely defined as they grow into adults. This is quite the reason why collecting as stated earlier and as found in the study that could be highly linked with culture. After all culture is associated with the development of actual behavior common among everybody and there must be strong influence of the actual consideration of concepts such as “possession” (Rosemond, 113). At this point, it is important to argue that because of this idea about possession, which has been acquired during childhood and extended until adult of the human stage of development, collecting dolls is the fulfillment of childhood desires, or the nostalgia and memories of the dolls they had as children. This can be remarkably proven by considering substantial studies stated earlier that there are non-financial factors associated with collecting stuffs. There can be no remarkable logical approach why a person will collect dolls even if there would be no monetary associated with it. If its part of the culture itself, then there is a strong point to consider that it is actually behavioral in its context. At this point, there is a strong connection of what a person actually learns from childhood because based on the information-processing approaches; there are substantial memories that could be included with the person’s actual behavior at present. From the behavioral and humanistic perspective in psychology, children who learned the importance and the joy associated with keeping dolls may have great chance to carry such childhood experience to adulthood because of the information-processing approach which remarkably make every memory live. This is in fact the reason why collecting has become a normative behavior, because this is eventually the kind of behavior children experience during experimental stage when they would want to acquire things around them. Thus, there is a strong point to consider that adults especially those who are collecting dolls at present, based on the information-processing approach have still strong and vivid memory they have from childhood about dolls that they would want to experience in their adult life. This is not impossible to happen because there is a reinforcement of what is desirable because according to the theory of needs, there is always reinforcement of what is desirable (Feldman, Mash 23). The vivid memory from childhood which is carried during adulthood stage has the tendency to be recalled because of the existence of information-processing from the stand point of cognitive psychology. As noticed, there is a combined approach necessary within the context of psychology that needs to be understood in detail prior to explaining the actual behavior of adults collecting things from childhood. However, what is clear at this point is the actual intrinsic value associated with collecting that may not be financial so making it clear that there is a behavioral context involved. However, according to Freud, in the human stage of development, there are actually different stages that we need to completely overcome. So at this point, with reference to the actual research that collecting may be associated with non-financial factors and other intrinsic factors, there is a strong point to consider what Freud actually stated. For example, if an individual may be suppressed from playing dolls in childhood, there is a tendency that she would accomplish that desire during adult stage in order to complete the developmental stage. Furthermore, if a person finds the ultimate pleasure associated with playing dolls as experienced during childhood, there would always be a possibility because of the memory to recall such event and the person’s ability to consider the concept of possession learned from childhood may continue to prevail due to information-processing stage. Conclusion In this paper the proponent considers the explanation why there are people collecting dolls even if they are already matured and have undergone childhood stage. In order to critically understand this point, based on the psychological principle the proponent considers defining what collecting is all about based on the prevailing studies linked with it. Then after that, the proponent elaborately discusses collecting from a pure psychological stand point referring to some important theories in understanding human psychological development. It is found that it is not possible for individuals at their adult stage to collect dolls because this could be the fulfillment of childhood desires, or the nostalgia and memories of the dolls they had as children. All of these are critically explained from the stand point of behavioral and humanistic psychological perspective, leading to the point that the environment could influence human behavior leaving a definite mark of individuality during adult stage due to information-processing approach of psychological development. In this paper, the proponent tries to argue that though there might be financial and other related reasons for collecting, like doll collecting, it is also implied that the possibility to acquire or collect dolls are due to other non-financial concerns which can be due to behavioral concerns. For this reason, the entire argument associated with this issue lies on the basic foundation of understanding human behavior and psychological development. This is also due to the fact that collecting is a normative, so it is a behavior that develops from childhood until adulthood so it would not be impossible why there are many people collecting stuffs they like when they are children due to fulfillment of childhood desires, or the nostalgia and memories of the things they had as children. References Apostolou, Menelaos. “Why men collect things? A case study of fossilized dinosaur eggs.” Journal of Economic Psychology 32.3 (2011): 410-417. 23 Nov. 2012. Barker, Stephen. Excavations and their objects: Freud’s collection of antiquity. New York: SUNY Press, 1996. Print. Bhatia, H. R. Elements of Educational Psychology. Kolkata: Orient Blackswan, 1973. Print. Carey, Catherine. “Modeling collecting behavior: The role of set completion.” Journal of Economic Psychology 29.3 (2008): 336-347. 23 Nov. 2012. Barzilay, David. “Collecting classic cars.” Collectible Investments for the High Net Worth Investor (2009): 245-255. 23 Nov. 2012. Belk, Russell W. “Collecting as luxury consumption: effects on individuals and households.” Collectible Investments for the High Net Worth Investor (2009): 73-84. 23 Nov. 2012. Elsner, John and Roger Cardinal. Cultures of collecting. London: Reaktion Books, 1994. Print. Feldman, Robert S. Essentials of understanding psychology. 5th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2003. Print. Gelber, Steven M. Hobbies: Leisure and the culture of work in America. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999. Print. Johnstone, David. “Collecting and behavioral finance.” Collectible Investments for the High Net Worth Investor (2009): 53-71. 23 Nov. 2012. Mash, Eric J. Child Psychopathology. 2nd ed. New York: Guilford Press, 2003. Print. Nordsletten, Ashley E., and David Mataix –Cols. “Hoarding versus collecting: Where does pathology diverge from play?” Clinical Psychology Review 32.3 (2012): 165-176. 23 Nov. 2012. O’Brien, Maureen. Watch me grow: I’m one-two-three. New York: Quill, 2002. Print. Rosemond, John. Parent Power! Kansas: Andrews and McMeel, 1990. Print. Satchell, Stephen and J. F. W. Auld. “Collecting and Investing in Stamps.” Collectible Investments for the High Net Worth Investor (2009):215-230. 23 Nov. 2012. Read More