Psychographics and Education

Psychographics and Education

*** Establishing Inclusion ***

Routines and norms are apparent, and the students understand them:

• Routines and norms are in place to help everyone feel that they belong in the session (class).
• Students have opportunities to learn about each other.
• Students and instructors have opportunities to learn about others’ unique backgrounds.
• Participation agreements and guidelines are negotiated.
• Everyone understands the system of personal and collective responsibility for agreements.

All participants equitably and actively participate and interact:

• The instructor directs attention equitably.
• The instructor interacts respectfully with all learners.
• The instructor demonstrates to all learners that she or he cares about them.
• Students share ideas and perspectives with each other and the instructor (this includes peer participation in a range of peer interactions).
• Students know what to do, especially when making choices.
• Students assist each other.

(Ginsberg & Wlodkowksi, 2009)

Influences on Learning

Personality

"Personality type affects the way people respond to stimuli and the way that they prefer to learn" (Carrel& Monroe, 1993; Ehrman & Oxford, 1990; Myers & Myers, 1993).

Attitude

"Attitude determines the subject's emotional and motivational dispositions towards the learning material. Most cognitive and complex forms of learning are greatly influenced by whether or not the subject has the right kind of attitude towards the learning situation" (Preserveaticles.com, 2012)

Values / Lifestyle

Interests

"Culture consists of values, beliefs, and ways of perceiving (Irvine and York, 1995). Cultural differences in children's learning styles may develop through their early experience (Guild and Garger, 1998). A cultural group's values and traditional lifestyle may, through child- rearing practices, influence the learning styles the individual will develop" (Worthley, 1999)

Teaching Strategies

"With greater interest, the processing of information at the time of learning becomes deeper. Therefore, they are learned and remembered better. A person interested ... would learn the act more quickly and maintain it for a longer period of time" (Abdullah, 2014)

by Desiree Bove

• Social & cultural awareness
• Fairness in time & attention
• Be open-minded & flexible
• Establish a neutral learning environment to create comfortable & engaging atmosphere
• Be inclusive (incorporate a variety of teaching strategies)

psy·cho·graph·ics

plural noun

1. statistics classifying population groups according to psychological variables (as attitudes, values, or fears); also : variables or trends identified through such research

2. the study and grouping of people according to their attitudes and tastes, esp for market research

• Personality
• Values
• Attitude
• Fears
• Interests
• Lifestyles

• Gender
• Age
• Education
• Marital Status
• Income
• Employment Status
• Location

Psycho-what?

Reflection

In addition to demographics (gender, age, marital status, employment status, etc.), psychographic factors (including personality, values, attitudes, interests, and lifestyles, etc.) have an immense influence on learners and the learning process; it is an equally important aspect in comparison to demographics as it focuses on the overall psychological make-up of a (group) or learner(s). If anything, psychographics allow us to take a deeper look into individuals; it presents an opportunity to understand what really matters. These various factors serve as an influence of choices/decisions, which are guided by intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Motivated learners engage in tasks with intensity and feeling, while unmotivated learners tend to procrastinate or choose not to do engage in the task at-hand.

Focusing on the psychographic perspective, the range of factors all have a commonality of the desire and/or importance of education. It is important for instructors to recognize what will grab learners’ attention in order to foster an engaging learning environment. Using the aspect of psychographics, a much deeper look into individuals will be provided, thus allowing the instructor to create a “psychographic profile” which provides direction on the curriculum so that it may be tailored to learners. It is also essential for adult learners to be able to recognize the value of education, mainly in regards to recognizing how the curriculum is applicable and relevant to their lifestyle and interests. As Hibma (2014) states, “It’s about knowing what will grab learners’ attention and what will turn learners off.” Depending on the factor(s), learners may find themselves facing certain decisions regarding whether or not to continue in the pursuit of education—whether this education means earning a GED, college degree, or just to continue a lifetime pursuit of learning.

Psychographics provide a much deeper look into individuals; using demographics you may be able to figure out more about lifestyles, behaviors, habits...

It's about knowing what will grab learners' attention and what will turn learners off (Hibma, 2014).

References

Abdullah, F. (2014). Academia.edu. Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/1522258/Learning_styles_personality_types_and_reading_comprehension_performance

Carrel, P. L., & Monroe, L. B. (1993). Learning styles and composition. Modern Language Journal ,77 (2), 148-162

Dictionary.com, LLC. (2014). Dictionary.com. Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/psychographics?s=ts

Guild, Pat Burke and Stephen Garger (1998). Marching to Different Drummers. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, ED 426968. Hilliard, Asa G. III (1988). Behavioral Style, Culture, Teaching and Learning. New Haven: Yale University Institute for Social and Policy Studies, 1988. ED348407.

Heredia, A. (2004). World of education. Retrieved from http://library.educationworld.net/a12/a12-166.html

Hibma, M. (2014). HubSpot. Retrieved from http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/what-are-psychographics-faqs-ht

Margery, B., & Wlodkowski, R. (2009). Diversity and motivation. Culturally responsive teaching in college (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Inc.

PreserveArticles.com. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.preservearticles.com/201102073872/how-interest-and-attitude-influence-learning.html

Worthley, K.M. Evenson (1999). Learning Style Factor of Field Dependence/Independence and Problem Solving Strategies of Hmong Refugee Students. Master's thesis, University of Wisconsin - Stout, July 1987. Cited in Christine I. Bennett, Comprehensive Multicultural Education: Theory and Practice, 4th ed. Needham Heights, MA Allyn & Bacon. 1999.