During the duration of this course I have learned about many topics
During the duration of this course I have learned about many topics. Out of all the topics that were discussed sleep deprivation, observational learning and persuasion really captured my attention. During observational learning an observer’s behavior changes after viewing the behavior of a model. We observe the behavior of others, see the consequences, and later will imitate their behavior. An observer’s behavior can be affected by positive or negative consequences which is called vicarious reinforcement or vicarious punishment which also goes with behaviors. Persuasion involves a deliberate attempt to influence others. Methods of transmitting persuasive messages can occur in a variety of ways, such as television, radio, the internet or face to face. People who do not get enough sleep usually end up suffering the consequences. There is no good outcome from not getting enough sleep. Sleep deprivation has many negative effects, such as a decline in proficiency in school, mood swings, serious weight changes and even hallucinations.Sleep deprivation is the state your body undergoes when you do not get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation affects your brain and cognitive functioning. For example during my sophomore year of high school I stayed up for nearly two days straight studying for my finals. During school hours I would not participate in any class activities because I felt sluggish and became very irritable. I could feel my attention span disintegrating. The reason that this is an example of sleep deprivation is because my mind suffered from not receiving at least 9-10 hours of rest.
Persuasion is the process of altering a person’s behavior or attitude towards a subject, idea or an event. Take Donald Trump’s campaign speech as an example, in his speech he basically told everyone what they wanted to hear. Donald Trump played to people’s worse fears and anxiety in order to gain support. The reason that this is an example of persuasion is because he was able to motivate marginalized demographics to vote in higher numbers based on fears and political rhetoric. However, once he was elected into office all the promises he made in his campaign speech were broken and caused an uproar in American society.
Observational learning is watching someone perform an action and you start mimic the same actions. Observational learning is similar to imitation. Observational learning is a two-way street. You may go through with performing the act that you observed if you feel like it is the right thing to do or you may simply not go through with that specific act because it is not in your nature to do so. Take a child learning how to swear as an example. If the child is exposed to a model such as their sibling, a parent, friend or simply someone in their neighborhood who uses foul language frequently then the child is more prone to learn and use those words. The reason I selected this as an example of observational learning is because the child is attentive to what is new and often tries the behavior for themselves which does not always equal a positive outcome.
Sleep deprivation, observational learning and persuasion are excellent topics to look into because they all play a huge factor in everyday behaviors. I have learned that obtaining a good amount of sleep is essential for a teenager still developing. Teens need the correct amount of sleep every night to function properly even though many still have problems doing so, due to the demands of life. A lack of sleep affects life both in the short-term and long-term. Sleep deprivation affects a person physically, emotionally and psychologically. This may cause drowsiness, hallucinations, mood swings and many other potentially serious health problems especially in teens. With persuasion I have learned that it is a powerful practice and you could be positively persuaded or negatively persuaded. In order for observational learning to happen the person who is observing the behavior needs to be paying attention to it in order to learn it. An important part of observational learning is being able to recall the behavior that you saw, so you can repeat it. Observational learning utilizes cognitive processes such as motor skills, memory, motivation and attention.
