Training counselors role models: the basics and beyond

Camping Magazine, May-June, 2007 by Ethan Schafer

Children do much of their learning by watching the important people in their lives. Referred to as "observational learning" by social psychologists and cognitive scientists, most professionals who work with children simply refer to this process as role modeling. Role modeling, of course, is more than simply the act of mimicking adults by nearby children. Ask any camper about how the "role models" presented by various media outlets (certain athletes and "musicians" come to mind) influence their thoughts, feelings, and behavior, and assuming they are being honest, you will get an earful. More likely, you will see their influence reflected in campers' behavior in any number of ways. Whether campers are able or willing to put the impact into words, their role models create one of the lenses through which they view the world.

The Science of Observational Learning and Social Cognition

The science behind the importance of role modeling is robust and has an extensive history. For those of you who can remember back to your introductory psychology classes, you probably remember one of the earliest and most famous studies of observational learning, the classic "Bobo Doll" studies of Albert Bandura. In a series of studies, Bandura documented the increased likelihood of boys and girls to exhibit aggressive behavior towards an inflatable doll after watching another adult act as a model by exhibiting aggression towards the doll him/herself. These studies sparked an explosion of research on how role models in a child's life influence behavior and learning. Combined with research on persuasion, psychologists have since identified several factors that increase the influence role models have on children.

For camp professionals, some of the important factors include:

* Proximity: A role model that is physically closer to a child (e.g., in the same room, as opposed to watching on a monitor or television screen), is more likely to influence a child.

* Similarity: Role models who are similar on any number of physical factors, such as gender, ethnicity, or resemblance to other significant people in a child's life (such as a parent or peer).

* Likeability: A likeable role model (in the old days, researchers would be more cavalier about using terms like "attractive model," but I digress) is also more likely to have influence.

* Authority: Such as a teacher, an expert, or someone who has generally been presented to a child as someone to listen to, follow, and learn from.

Does this sound like anyone you work with? Camp counselors are likely to fill all of these criteria, and then some. As any educator or camp professional knows, a role model's behavior has at least as much (and probably more) effect on a child's learning compared to his or her words.

Camp staff are also role models regarding how to handle interpersonal relationships. Observing how adults communicate with each other, resolve conflicts, and manage complex emotion helps children form "mental maps" for campers to follow in their own lives. Some psychologists who research social cognition (a hot area of research right now, social cognition is the study of how we think about, perceive, and respond to social information) have referred to these maps as "interpersonal schemas." We all have "maps" in our heads that affect how we filter, organize, and respond to input from the environment. For example, when you meet someone, you have certain protocols to follow--involving handshakes, eye contact, and exchange of personal information.

The larger point is that previous experiences guide our actions, expectations, and sense of what to do in any interpersonal situations. Most often, we are not consciously aware of them. We don't consciously think, "Orient your body towards the person, put your hand out at the appropriate angle, ask for his/her name," etc. Schemas are constantly changing in response to information provided by the environment, and are another type of organizing framework through which children understand their world.

Of course, none of this is particularly newsworthy. We already know that camp counselors have huge impact on Campers--both positively and negatively. In most staff training programs, the concept of being a role model is probably alluded to in some fashion. This is a critical component of any staff training program, but we can do more. By adding a series of specific concepts and activities, we can give our staffs the tools to become more deliberate, effective role models for campers.

The Basics: Being a Good Example, Every Day

As mentioned, this is the easiest part of training camp role models, and will therefore only be covered briefly. Perhaps these aspects of your training program emphasize "do as I say AND as I do," concrete behaviors such as the importance of counselors showing up on time to activities, being responsible with their belongings, and following the same camp rules the campers do, etc. We can enhance the "basics" by integrating some basic aspects of developmental adolescent psychology.