Modeling or Copy Cat?
When I was little, I always wanted to be like my older cousin, Alexis. Alexis is four years older than I am, and I always thought she was so cool. We spent a lot of time together when we were little (much to her dismay), so I would often copy the things she would do. She played with Webkinz toys, so I wanted Webkinz. She went to CCD, so I wanted to go to CCD (and I was never religious). She liked One Direction, so I liked One Direction. Looking back at it, I could see why she would find me annoying; however, I think I just admired her.
When I learned about modeling behavior, I immediately thought about my own behaviors around Alexis. According to OpenEd CUNY, in modeling, also known as observational learning, "we learn by watching others and then imitating, or modeling, what they do or say." In the article, modeling is compared to the phrase "monkey see, monkey do," which is exactly what I did with Alexis; I would see her do something, and since I looked up to her, I would do it.
Even to this day, I'd like to believe I model a lot of what I do off of Alexis. She did band in high school, so I did band in high school. She went to Penn State, so I went to Penn State (which I transferred out of, but point still stands). She just graduated from law school and passed the bar exam, and I am planning on going to law school. People are most likely to model someone who they admire, and I am lucky enough to have such a smart and successful cousin to grow up around and observe. I believe I am a better person today due to her influence on me.
I love this post so much! It feels incredibly relatable, as someone who grew up around older cousins and siblings, I completely see myself in your Webkinz example. It's no wonder you immediately thought of your own life when learning about modeling behavior.
ReplyDeleteYou made a really great point about how we choose to model people we admire. It's cool how childhood imitation can transition into major life decisions like joining band or pursuing law school. Alexis sounds like an awesome role model, and you did an awesome job connecting your personal history straight to the concepts. Thank you for sharing!
I loved reading this post. I was able to relate entirely. I was the same way you were with Alexis with my older sister Amanda. I still sometimes copy her. Learning about this explained so much for me. I was able to see the reasoning behind it. My sister used to find it annoying but after learning this I told her about modeling behavior and that people model someone who they admire and I told her to take it as a compliment which she did. Your post was awesome and I was able to relate which made it so fun to read. Awesome job!
ReplyDeleteI thought this was really cute to read. I think almost everyone has had someone they looked up to and wanted to be like growing up. It's cool to see how observational learning can still influence us even as adults.
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