• Question: Given that a child is more likely to identify with a role model which they identify with, what do you think causes identification and is there any reason for why we all favour different traits in a person?

    Asked by anon-282368 on 10 Mar 2021.
    • Photo: Helena Paterson

      Helena Paterson answered on 10 Mar 2021:

      Hello Joel, We identify with people that are similar to us because they can model for us about how to behave in uncertain circumstances. For instance, if you are in a new place where you don’t understand things yet, you look to other people to see how to behave. We gravitate towards people that are similar to us to help us figure out unfamiliar situations. Think about your first day in a new school or in a new teacher’s class, or in a new sports team. In terms of liking or who we gravitate towards, we like what is familiar to us and this goes for people too. We want to belong and familiarity and similarity are really good rules of thumb to follow when choosing who to identify with.

      Saying that, what is familiar to each person is very different and unique which is why we all choose our role models so differently.

    • Photo: Dennis Relojo-Howell

      Dennis Relojo-Howell answered on 10 Mar 2021:

      Hi JoeL. I will answer your questions in two layers. First, as a resilience researcher, I’ve done a lot of readings on who makes excellent role models for adolescents in relation to resilience. A number of studies have demonstrated that while it’s great to have inspirational models from the public arena (e.g., Nicholas Vujicic, the motivational speaker who don’t have arms and legs), it is far more effective if adolescents can see role models who are immediate to them (their parents, a classmate, a teacher, etc.)

      Second, I would like to answer it from my own experience. My resilience role models are not necessarily those who look like me, or the same sexuality as me, or who have gone through the same life experiences as me. My resilience role model is Stephen Hawking. I don’t think I would be able to endure having a degenerative disease like what he had and still be able to make such a significant contribution to humanity.

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