Character Analysis: Before Captivity
Before Captivity Living in a Dangerous Area Kampusch details how the council estate where she lived was considered dangerous, through observation of her mother’s behaviour, she had internalised her negative attitude towards the estate resulting in her fear response demonstrated through her described behaviour of running through the estate. Social learning theory describes how individuals can acquire behaviour through observational learning, through a range of symbolic representations of behaviours, both imaginal and verbal (Bandura, 1969). The internalised fear is represented through symbolic images of her strong minded mother walking through the courtyard in a hurried manner and holding her hand tightly, representing to her that
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For example, she learned from her mother through direct experience, observational learning and negative reinforcement that emotions equalled weaknesses and would not be tolerated, even when her parents separated her mother hid her own emotions and expected Kampusch to keep a stiff upper lip and often acted aggressively if she deemed her to be too emotional. Learning by direct experience describes how individuals actions are governed by an anticipated consequence (Bandura, 1977). In addition, observational learning describes how behaviours are learnt intentionally or unintentionally through observations of behaviours, finally external reinforcement explains how the immediate consequences can shape behaviour. For instance, the effect of this conditioning can be seen in Kampusch behavioural response when she broke her arm on a school excursion, where she proceeded to hide her pain, even when it caused her to have trouble breathing. Evidence of this behavioural and emotional conditioning can be also found during her time in captivity. Moreover, Kampusch narrates how her captor would react with immediate physical violence if she begun to cry, detailing the punishments of slapping, choking and drowning, often she stopped crying due to the fear of violent negative consequences. Lastly, the result of these experiences shaped Kampush’s behaviour causing her to
For example, she learned from her mother through direct experience, observational learning and negative reinforcement that emotions equalled weaknesses and would not be tolerated, even when her parents separated her mother hid her own emotions and expected Kampusch to keep a stiff upper lip and often acted aggressively if she deemed her to be too emotional. Learning by direct experience describes how individuals actions are governed by an anticipated consequence (Bandura, 1977). In addition, observational learning describes how behaviours are learnt intentionally or unintentionally through observations of behaviours, finally external reinforcement explains how the immediate consequences can shape behaviour. For instance, the effect of this conditioning can be seen in Kampusch behavioural response when she broke her arm on a school excursion, where she proceeded to hide her pain, even when it caused her to have trouble breathing. Evidence of this behavioural and emotional conditioning can be also found during her time in captivity. Moreover, Kampusch narrates how her captor would react with immediate physical violence if she begun to cry, detailing the punishments of slapping, choking and drowning, often she stopped crying due to the fear of violent negative consequences. Lastly, the result of these experiences shaped Kampush’s behaviour causing her to