Human Self as Information Agent: Functioning in a Social Environment Based on Shared Meanings

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy F. Baumeister ◽  
Heather M. Maranges ◽  
Kathleen D. Vohs
Keyword(s):  
Social Environment ◽  
Social Activity ◽  
Shared Understanding ◽  
Shared Meanings ◽  
Information Agent ◽  
Information Agents ◽  
Shared Information ◽  
Basic Functions ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Individual Self

A neglected aspect of human selfhood is that people are information agents. That is, much human social activity involves communicating and discussing information. This occurs in the context of incompletely shared information—but also a group's store of collective knowledge and shared understanding. This article elucidates a preliminary theory of self as information agent, proposing that human evolution instilled both abilities and motivations for the various requisite functions. These basic functions include (a) seeking and acquiring information, (b) communicating one's thoughts to others, (c) circulating information through the group, (d) operating on information to improve it, such as by correcting mistakes, and (e) constructing a shared understanding of reality. Sophisticated information agents exhibit additional features, such as sometimes selectively withholding information or disseminating false information for self-serving reasons, cultivating a reputation as a credible source of information, and cooperating with others to shape the shared worldview in a way that favors one's subgroup. Meaningful information is thus more than a resource for individual action: It also provides the context, medium, and content within which the individual self interacts with its social environment.

scholarly journals Foreign Experience in Using Educational Logotherapy in Professional Activities of Primary School Teachers

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 55-61
Author(s):  
Yuliia Stepura
Keyword(s):  
Primary School ◽  
Social Activity ◽  
Therapeutic Concept ◽  
Professional Activities ◽  
Therapeutic Interaction ◽  
The Social ◽  
Primary Schoolchildren ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Individual Self

Abstract The article examines the nature and importance of using aesthetic and therapeutic concept and educational logotherapy, in particular, for creating a special emotionally comfortable socioeducational environment for primary education The author has represented inteipretation of foreign scholars' views (J. Bugental, V. Frankl, A. Maslow, R. May, J. Moreno, C. Rogers et al) on such terms as “communication ”, “aesthetotherapy ”, “educational logotherapy” etc. An attempt has been made to analyze the social coTitent of pedagogical activity in the context of using logotherapy in primary school based on an agogical paradigm. In the scope of the article, the specific of using the therapeutic metaphor in the educational environment of primary' school has been represented as well as the basic stages of its implementation have been determined. These stages are the following: description of the storyline, persuasion and binding. The author has defined the role of the “living metaphors” in organization of the therapeutic interaction between the teacher and primary' schoolchildren. Particular attention has been paid to formation of the humanistic competency among primary schoolchildren; this competency is to be based on their understanding of the following philosophical and pedagogical categories: a norm (as a means and a results of pupils' social activity), freedom (as a mean and a result of individual self-expression among primary schoolchildren) and happiness (as an individual self-expression among primaryr schoolchildren). The author has assessed the role of deflection method and paradoxical intention for the social development of the pupil and further formation of the individual. Additional attention has been paid to determination of the socioeducational and psychological and pedagogical potential of such leading method in logotherapy as “The Socratic dialogue” (or “The Socratic circle”): as well have been highlighted the main stages of its implementation: consent (search for what pupil may agree), doubt (an expression of doubts towards weak arguments of interlocutor) and arguments (the teacher must convey' one’s opinion, without any resistance from the child): have been represented different various algorithms of its realization: the method of “aquarium”, “panel method” and “questioning technique”.

scholarly journals THE ESSENCE OF THE CONCEPT OF THE YOUTH SOCIAL ACTIVITY

2018 ◽  
pp. 164-171
Author(s):  
Oksana Stupak ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Environment ◽  
Social Activity ◽  
Personality Characteristic ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
Additional Element ◽  
Ability To Act ◽  
The Social ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Given

The article presents the theoretical analysis and systematization of the approaches to the definition of the «social activity» concept. The definition of «activity» is used as an independent concept in various fields of science, and as an additional element in different systems. In scientific thought the concepts of «active person», «initiative» and «social initiative» etc. are used as the derivatives of the term. The analysis of encyclopedic, psychological and pedagogical literature made it possible to distinguish the following approaches to the concept of «social activity»: as a dynamic personality characteristic that reflects the level of orientation of abilities, knowledge, skills, concentration of volitional and creative efforts of the individual to realize his or her urgent needs, interests, goals; as a way of life, characterized by the ability to act on his or her own, performing a personal beginning in new forms and activities; as the connection of the individual with the social environment through conscious, purposeful interaction of the individual and society taking into account the personal reasons for which people are influencing each other and various socially useful activities. The given essential characteristics of the concept of «social activity» certainly do not cover all aspects of terminological foundations, but act as certain guidelines that in the context of studying the problem of forming youth social activity made it possible to determine social activity as an integrated personal activity in order to initiate, plan, implement the socially useful activities in the communicative social environment, taking into account their own needs, the needs of society and personal qualities that contribute to its implementation. Considering the age of participants, young people need the possibility of self-realization in socially meaningful activities, participation in which gives them confidence in their own strength, the opportunity to acquire personal and social status, important social experience, realize their interests and needs.

The Subjective Nature of Time and the Individual’s (In)Ability to Inflict Social Change

2019 ◽  
pp. 109-123
Author(s):  
Molly Cobb
Keyword(s):  
Social Environment ◽  
Personal Identity ◽  
Social History ◽  
Subjective Experience ◽  
The World ◽  
Nature Of Time ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Individual Self ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Alfred Bester

This chapter explores the individual microhistory by looking at works by Alfred Bester which consider the subjective nature of time and the privatisation of temporal experience. Bester’s works often demonstrate the lack of a universal continuum and the isolated nature of an individual’s timeline, which can be seen as a representation of the individual’s (in)ability to exhibit agency over their social environment. This chapter proposes that Bester is utilising an otherwise standard SF trope to invite his readers to re-examine the way in which individuals are made to conform to a society which is given priority over the individual self. This chapter delineates the relationship between the self’s subjective experience of the world, in terms of psychology and personal identity, and the objective assumptions of that world in regards to the individual, thus demonstrating the self’s seemingly unalterable place in social history.

scholarly journals The basic incentive mechanism of social activity of the individual

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.V. Grigoryeva
Keyword(s):  
Social Environment ◽  
Incentive Mechanism ◽  
Social Activity ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Psychological Phenomena ◽  
Psychological Mechanisms ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Time Description ◽  
Qualitative Changes

The main provisions of the system-diachronic approach to the study of the phenomenon of social activity of the individual are developed. Social activity, from the point of view of the system-diachronic approach, should be considered as a multi-level education, including cognitive, emotional-evaluative, motivational and socio-psychological phenomena combined in acts of interaction between the individual and the social environment undergoing qualitative changes in time. Description of the past, present and future state of the system “personality — social group”, the identification of elements of the system, progressively or regressively transformed, are the necessary conditions for a system-diachronic analysis of social activity. The basic incentive mechanism of the person’s social activity is revealed — diachronic mismatch in the system “personality — social environment”, as well as private cognitive, emotional-evaluative, motivational and socio-psychological mechanisms of social activity of the individual and the group.

ПСИХОЛОГІЧНИЙ СУПРОВІД СТАНОВЛЕННЯ УСПІШНОЇ ОСОБИСТОСТІ У ПРОФЕСІЙНОМУ СЕРЕДОВИЩІ В УМОВАХ СОЦІАЛЬНИХ ТА ОСВІТНІХ РЕФОРМ

1970 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 221-226
Author(s):  
Олена Горова
Keyword(s):  
Social Activity ◽  
Professional Activity ◽  
Subjective Feeling ◽  
Support Worker ◽  
Gainful Employment ◽  
Progressive Development ◽  
Professional Success ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Favorable Conditions

Професійне   становлення   особистості   супроводжує   всі   етапи  соціально-вікового   розвитку  особистості.  Трудова  діяльність  є  основним  видом  суспільної  активності,  який  дозволяє  працівнику  задовольняти  основні  потреби,  особливо  у  процесі  постійних  соціальних,  освітніх  реформ.  Важливим  завданням психологічного супроводу працівника у процесі виконання професійної діяльності є забезпечення  сприятливих  умов  формування  професійно  важливих  якостей.  Соціальна  успішність  є  результатом  ефективного  розв’язання  виробничих  завдань, які  мають  суспільно корисну  важливість  та  пов’язані  з  потребами інших людей. Якісний прогресивний розвиток працівника можливий лише за умови збереження  стійкого  позитивного  ставлення  до  професії.  Позитивна  професійна  самоідентифікація  пов’язана  з  ототожненням  та  персоналізацією  працівником  особистісних  рис  працівників,  які  досягли  успіху  у  професії,  мають  суспільно  визнані  результати  діяльності.  Таким  чином,  професійна  успішність  як  суб’єктне  новоутворення  у  якості  відчуття  гордості  за  власні  результати  діяльності  забезпечує  реалізацію традиції наставництва і  передачі позитивного професійного досвіду.    Професійно  успішний  працівник  усвідомлює  необхідність  та  важливість  результатів  своєї  діяльності  для  інших,  що  вимагає,  відповідно,  від  соціального  середовища  усвідомлення  необхідності  визнання  результатів  діяльності  фахівців.  Знехтуваний  суспільством  працівник,  або  той,  результати  діяльності  якого  позиціонуються  як  меншовартісні,  дистанціюється  від  професії  та  має  негативний  потенціал розвитку. Professional formation of the person accompanies all phases of social and age of the individual. Gainful  employment is the main form of social activity that allows the employee to realize the basic needs. An important task  of psychological support worker in the course of professional activity is to provide favorable conditions for the  formation  of  professionally  important  qualities.  Professional  success  is  the  result  of  an  effective  solution  of  industrial jobs that are socially useful and important related to the needs of others. High-quality progressive  development of an employee is only possible while maintaining a stable positive attitude towards the profession.  Positive  professional  identity  associated  with  the  identification  and  personalization  of  employee  personality traits of employees who have been successful in the profession, who have publicly acknowledged  performance. Thus professional success as the subjective feeling of a lump in the pride of their own results of  operations  ensures  the  implementation  of  the  tradition  of  mentoring  and  of  positive  transfer  of  professional  experience.  Professionally successful employees aware of the need and the importance of the results of its operations  for the other, which requires, respectively, from the social environment - awareness of the need to recognize the  performance of specialists. Unclaimed society worker, or the results of operations, which are positioned as less  important, is moving away from the profession and has a negative potential. 

MULTIDIMENSIONAL MANAGEMENT CONTEMPORARY: GENERATION OF SOCIAL MEANINGS FOR A NEW COLLECTIVE IDENTITIES

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (14) ◽  
pp. 264-273
Author(s):  
Inna Andriivna Semenets-Orlova ◽  
Yaroslava Yaroslavivna Kyselova
Keyword(s):  
Social Activity ◽  
Professional Activity ◽  
Collective Identities ◽  
Dominant Type ◽  
Civil Responsibility ◽  
European Area ◽  
Social Meanings ◽  
Characteristic Features ◽  
Decentralization Reform ◽  
The Individual

The article is devoted to the analysis of the process of generating social meanings on the area of European civilization. Authors assign a separate place to the research of the tendency of increasing social activity in local communities, which accompanies decentralization processes in modern Ukraine. The article analyzes the characteristic features of non-tribes, based on the M. Maffesoli’s concept of “neo-tribalism”, and traces the tendency of reactualization a partly transformed communal way of life of modern tribes. The authors investigate the retrieval of the request for a valuable education in society. It is emphasized on the growing tendency of the filling of the meaning of the professional activity of public administrators, according to the significant request of providing public interests and collective goals by citizens. The authors singled out a new role of public administration — providing public education. In the context of this problem, the authors substantiate the critical need for a successful completion of the authority decentralization reform in Ukraine. Proceeding from the process of neo-tribalism that covers modern Europe, the authors predict the emergence of a new collective identities on the European area. The authors point to a characteristic tendency: Ukrainians are deeply embedded in solving internal problems of society, which manifests in the correction of gaps in cultural and educational policies of past years, self-organization (through volunteer and volunteer movements), civil responsibility for the welfare of their communities, and participation in the management of local affairs. According to the authors, this tendency influences the dominant type of future sociality (it is not the individual “Me”, but “Me as a part of community”).

scholarly journals Individual behavioural traits not social context affects learning about novel objects in archerfish

2021 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick A. R. Jones ◽  
Helen C. Spence-Jones ◽  
Mike Webster ◽  
Luke Rendell
Keyword(s):  
Social Context ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Behavioural Phenotype ◽  
Social Species ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Animals ◽  
Novel Objects ◽  
The Individual

Abstract Learning can enable rapid behavioural responses to changing conditions but can depend on the social context and behavioural phenotype of the individual. Learning rates have been linked to consistent individual differences in behavioural traits, especially in situations which require engaging with novelty, but the social environment can also play an important role. The presence of others can modulate the effects of individual behavioural traits and afford access to social information that can reduce the need for ‘risky’ asocial learning. Most studies of social effects on learning are focused on more social species; however, such factors can be important even for less-social animals, including non-grouping or facultatively social species which may still derive benefit from social conditions. Using archerfish, Toxotes chatareus, which exhibit high levels of intra-specific competition and do not show a strong preference for grouping, we explored the effect of social contexts on learning. Individually housed fish were assayed in an ‘open-field’ test and then trained to criterion in a task where fish learnt to shoot a novel cue for a food reward—with a conspecific neighbour visible either during training, outside of training or never (full, partial or no visible presence). Time to learn to shoot the novel cue differed across individuals but not across social context. This suggests that social context does not have a strong effect on learning in this non-obligatory social species; instead, it further highlights the importance that inter-individual variation in behavioural traits can have on learning. Significance statement Some individuals learn faster than others. Many factors can affect an animal’s learning rate—for example, its behavioural phenotype may make it more or less likely to engage with novel objects. The social environment can play a big role too—affecting learning directly and modifying the effects of an individual’s traits. Effects of social context on learning mostly come from highly social species, but recent research has focused on less-social animals. Archerfish display high intra-specific competition, and our study suggests that social context has no strong effect on their learning to shoot novel objects for rewards. Our results may have some relevance for social enrichment and welfare of this increasingly studied species, suggesting there are no negative effects of short- to medium-term isolation of this species—at least with regards to behavioural performance and learning tasks.

scholarly journals Dominance relationships and coalitionary aggression against conspecifics in female carrion crows

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Benedikt Holtmann ◽  
Julia Buskas ◽  
Matthew Steele ◽  
Kristaps Solokovskis ◽  
Jochen B. W. Wolf
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Social Rank ◽  
Social Benefits ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
The Third ◽  
Dominance Relationships ◽  
Dominant Individual ◽  
The Individual

Abstract Cooperation is a prevailing feature of many animal systems. Coalitionary aggression, where a group of individuals engages in coordinated behaviour to the detriment of conspecific targets, is a form of cooperation involving complex social interactions. To date, evidence has been dominated by studies in humans and other primates with a clear bias towards studies of male-male coalitions. We here characterize coalitionary aggression behaviour in a group of female carrion crows consisting of recruitment, coordinated chase, and attack. The individual of highest social rank liaised with the second most dominant individual to engage in coordinated chase and attack of a lower ranked crow on several occasions. Despite active intervention by the third most highly ranked individual opposing the offenders, the attack finally resulted in the death of the victim. All individuals were unrelated, of the same sex, and naïve to the behaviour excluding kinship, reproduction, and social learning as possible drivers. Instead, the coalition may reflect a strategy of the dominant individual to secure long-term social benefits. Overall, the study provides evidence that members of the crow family engage in coordinated alliances directed against conspecifics as a possible means to manipulate their social environment.

Contradictions in a Totalitarian Society

1969 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
pp. 30-40
Author(s):  
Michael Lindsay
Keyword(s):  
Characteristic Feature ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Communist System ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Unanimous Agreement

Some aspects of the Chinese People's Republic have been explained as reversions to traditional Chinese patterns. There are resemblances between the Chinese Communist ideal for society and the traditional Confucian ideal. Both assume that, in a properly ordered society, there should be universal acceptance of a true doctrine and universal agreement on what is right. Paul Linebarger, describing the Confucian ideal, wrote, “Government, once cheng ming has been set in motion, is not a policy making body. There is no question of policy, no room for disagreement, no alternative; what is right is apparent. … government needs only to administer for … the maintenance of the ideology. Once right views are established, no individual is entitled to think otherwise. … control of the individual will devolves upon persons making up his immediate social environment. …” One can compare this with the frequent Chinese Communist statements about the universal validity of Marxism-Leninism and the thought of Mao Tse-tung and the continually appearing assumption that a process of discussion must end with unanimous agreement on what is right. Also, control of the individual by persons in his immediate social environment is a characteristic feature of the Chinese Communist system.

Reading Identity, Reading Essence: A Strategic Essentialist Approach to Mulk Raj Anand’s Untouchable

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 91-101
Author(s):  
Saleha Ilhaam
Keyword(s):  
Present Article ◽  
Human Existence ◽  
The Other ◽  
Political Strategy ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Strategic Essentialism ◽  
Reading Identity ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Individual Self

The term strategic essentialism, coined by Spivak, is generally understood as “a political strategy whereby differences (within Group) are temporarily downplayed, and unity assumed for the sake of achieving political goals.” On the other hand, essentialism focuses that everything in this world has an intrinsic and immutable essence of its own. The adaption of a particular “nature” of one group of people by way of sexism, culturalization, and ethnification is strongly linked to the idea of essentialism. Mulk Raj Anand’s Bakha is dictated as an outcast by the institutionalized hierarchy of caste practice. He is essentialized as an untouchable by attributing to him the characteristic of dirt and filth. However, unlike other untouchables, Bakha can apprehend the difference between the cultured and uncultured, dirt and cleanliness. Via an analysis of Anand’s “Untouchable,” the present article aims to bring to the forefront the horrid destruction of the individual self that stems from misrepresentations of personality. Through strategic essentialism, it unravels Bakha’s contrasting nature as opposed to his pariah class, defied by his remarkable inner character and etiquette. The term condemns the essentialist categories of human existence. It has been applied to decontextualize and deconstruct the inaccurately essentialized identity of Bakha, which has made him a part of the group he does not actually belong to.

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