The Analysis of the Leaflet Based on Psychology and Sexuality
The paper dwells on an analysis of the leaflet based on psychology and sexuality. The target group specified, for this leaflet is individuals above the age of 15; this is because, at this age, a lot of people have been introduced to sex education whether through their teachers at school, parents at home, online or through any other source of information.
The Purpose of the Leaflet
The primary purpose of the leaflet was to inform its audience on the manner in which a person’s sexual orientation can be influenced and how it tends to be very different from birth; this was done to develop a passive sense of understanding of why individuals tend to have different sexual preferences. People tend to be different when it comes to sexual preferences; there are those who are attracted to people of the opposite sex while others are attracted to same-sex individuals. The main purpose of the leaflet was for its readers to become more accepting when it comes to sexual orientations apart from heterosexuals; this was achieved through applying some psychological theories when it comes to the topic to explain how and why sexual orientation may be different. The main agenda of the leaflet is not very direct until one reaches the last page. The paper was intentionally structured in that manner to provoke and stimulate different aspects of self-debate in the mind of the audience instead of presenting them in one manner as they read. Acceptance of the theory also had to be developed, a tactic aimed at passively convincing the readers step by step. The main message that the leaflet was trying to pass across was to address the stigma and the unfair beliefs some individuals tend to have against people who have different sexual orientations.
Social Learning and Conditioning
Social learning and conditioning were the main concerns of the theory. Such ideas were explored to enlighten the audience on how an individual’s environment influences their sexual preferences; this was described after it was mentioned that biological reasons also influence sexual preferences. It was mainly explained in this order so that the readers might be persuaded that not only can sexual preferences be changed or influenced through the environment and our experiences but biological influence also affects our sexual orientation. We can, therefore, conclude that some individuals did not actively choose but were mainly influenced from birth on same-sex attractions.
Pavlov Classical Conditioning
Pavlov classical conditioning was one theory which assisted in explaining that sexual preferences can be influenced. The theory of classical conditioning was chosen since it tends to cover the habitual side of how a person’s sexual orientation tends to be formed. The concept involves bringing together two types of stimuli in a repetitive manner to allow responses to transfer between them leading to associative learning. In some ways, it tends to be the argument that it was the preliminary combination of stimuli that a person was presented with for example heterosexual or homosexual and that the person was conditioned. The other type of conditioning is the operant condition that is based on the consequences which later on determine if a behavior requires repetition or not. The conditioning involves two types of distinctions which are reinforced, which includes behavior that is repeated and punished which is behavior which is not highly repeated. The theory heavily relies on experience. In comparison to the classical conditioning, the operant condition tends to allow room in which the situation can be changed according to pleasure. Both theories are however not limited to only the situations highlighted they cover all the extremes which makes them good to pick together allowing room for the different combinations when one discusses sexual orientation.
Social Learning Theory
Social learning theory was the other theory that was chosen; this theory proposes that there are four stages of social learning which can influence sexuality. The stages include observation, for instance when an individual is exposed to sexual behavior through TV and films which captures their attention. The next step is retention where they remember what they had observed. Followed by imitation which involves the replication in their own lives of the behaviors that they have seen and motivation where a person starts to have the motivation of modeling the behavior. The theory was chosen since it is easily understood, making it suitable for a leaflet since the target audience includes people above the age of 15 years. Also, when most people pick leaflets, some of them do not want to read information which can be too challenging and therefore, in this case, it can become an obstacle when one is trying to portray message if it is not easily understood. The theory was chosen based on how relatable it is mostly when it comes to our society. The social learning theory is a theory which a lot of people that have gone through the simple social interaction process can relate to in one way or the other since we have passed through the social learning process at various points in our lives. The theory should, therefore, be more engaging with the target audience to assist in explaining the point that is being made when it comes to sexuality.
Challenges and Improvements
Some theories were rejected when deciding the ones which should be used in the leaflet. An example of such theories was Freud’s psychosexual development theory which was avoided since it would not have served the primary aim and purpose of the leaflet which was the promotion of acceptance of bisexual/ same-sex people. The theory would not also have been suitable since it would have been difficult in summarizing all points to serve in the leaflet.
After all the theories were explained, the final page entailed addressing the main message and focus of the entire leaflet. In order to disprove the myth which states that homosexuals are not mentally healthy and/or have differences in terms of psychological adjustment, Hooker’s research and that of other psychologists were used; this was a very critical part of the leaflet since it helped in reducing the stigma which people tend to have towards individuals with different sexual preferences by comparing them with heterosexuals which are similar in results. The similarity assists in putting the argument in perspective allowing the audience to sympathize and relate with homosexuals if they are not doing the same. Finally, a concluding statement was provided collecting all the essay’s elements to argue for different sexual orientations acceptance finally.
There were some challenges which occurred while creating the leaflet. One of them was the selection of theories; selecting the correct theories that would have served the main purpose was quite a challenging task since not all the concepts related in a manner that would help communicate the message which we intended to. There were some theories, on the other hand, which would have served well but were not suitable for a leaflet, for instance, the argument for sexuality and genes. Even though it would have served as a proper debate, it would not have been convenient for a leaflet since it would have taken far too much for the discussion. The challenge experienced was in summarizing the theories selected understandably and concisely; this proved to be the hardest part in the completion of the leaflet since it was critical to include the related content. In order to include such content, there was the need for an explanation part before that in theory to ensure that there was no break when it comes to logic. It was also designed in that manner so that the leaflet could provide enough information and hence no need for further reading. In doing so, the aim was that the audience could be interested in reading further afterward as opposed to reading so that they could understand the points which were being made. The challenge was however addressed by outlining the points that would be made and breaking the theories down to the essential parts which would be required to understand the points. Many drafts were however made in the process before the actual content was presented.
When it comes to improvement, there could have been images which would have assisted in portraying the points presented; this would have enticed the audience and helped them to understand things better. The mentioned of the gay gene argument which I mentioned, could have been implemented with a diagram instead of explaining it with words; this would have made it easier to be understood and assisted in strengthening the view that was being expressed in the entire leaflet. I gave the leaflet to one of my friends for them to assist me in determining and evaluating how effective the message was. The individual given the leaflet was heterosexual who was not aware of the psychological theories that were mentioned in the leaflet. Upon reading it, he agreed that the theories were straightforward and simple enough to follow providing a better understanding of what was trying to be explained. He, however, mentioned why reparative therapy was mentioned and what it was; this was purposefully included since all the bullet points are mentioned an exception for that one. In doing this, it was a way of encouraging a person to research about the topic and after being given the information in the leaflet be against the idea presented by it.
Application of Psychology in Real Life
When it comes to the application of psychology in real life, I have come to learn that one theory is not enough, there is the need of a number of them to exhaust the probabilities of the situations which tend to arise in our daily lives. There is no single theory which has the answer to all situations which we go through. However, this can sometimes be challenging since when using more than a single theory there tend to be areas that require different ideas. In this case, therefore, it becomes hard to determine which concept to apply since not only is one required to try and evaluate every point of view critically but there is also the need for ensuring that it is applicable in the current situation that a person is in. I also learnt that In order to convincingly convince an individual when it comes to psychological view one has to prepare themselves to explain a theories critical elements and explain them in a good manner for them to be able to benefit; this can sometimes prove to be difficult, since not every individual thinks in a similar manner. The best approach to use is one which is objective this can, however, be difficult since not all the things found in psychology are. Since a person might have evidence and research which suggests something and there may be research out there which will contradict it. The methods used in carrying out research, therefore, tend to be questionable similar to their sources, which therefore means that it is vital for one to choose sources that are reliable. In conclusion, I have learned that when one expresses psychological advice, an opposition will always be there due to the factors that are mentioned. Therefore, to overcome such an outcome, it is crucial to show that both sides have been critically weighed up.
