M.Ed. / The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of conditioning on the realization of a person's full potential from a personal leadership perspective. As humans our perception of ourselves and our capabilities are subject to many conditioning influences, for example family, education, society, culture and the media. Conditioning influences can lead to the formation of habits in the way people think and act. A problem arises because many of these conditioning influences have a negative impact on the way in which a person perceives himself and his potential, by focussing mainly on possible limitations and by overemphasizing conformation. A field of study that focuses on the overcoming of self-imposed boundaries and that strives to promote personal growth and the realization of a person's unique potential, is personal leadership. Personal leadership was defined in the study as an ongoing process of introspection and self-examination and a commitment to self-improvement, change and personal growth on the way to realizing one's unique potential. The general aim of the study was to investigate the nature of the concept 'conditioning' and the influence it has on a person's perception of himself and his potential, as well as to search for ways in which the negative influence of conditioning on personal growth can be identified and overcome, all within a personal leadership framework. The research methodology used in the study included hermeneutic and descriptive strategies. The research methods that were used included a word and concept analysis of the concept 'conditioning' as well as a literature study in order to identify and describe ways in which conditioning affects personal growth and how negative conditioning influences can be eliminated. The following are the most important findings of the study: • Both classical and operant conditioning are learning processes that play a role in establishing habits of thoughts and actions, by means of the formation of stimulus-response associations. • Conditioning can be a powerful inhibiting factor in personal growth, because it can lead to the formation of a poor self-image and limiting beliefs regarding personal potential. • Conditioning influences like family, education, peer groups, culture and the media can condition a person to believe that he has limited potential. • Conditioning influences can inhibit a person's ability to adapt to change and may also cause a person to become satisfied with the average and loose his motivation to actualize his full potential. • Through personal leadership a person can overcome the negative influence of conditioning by becoming aware of conditioning influences in his life and by realizing that conditioned habits are formed by his own free will and that it can be overcome by equipping himself with knowledge of how to successfully implement the desired change. • By overcoming the negative influence of conditioning in his life, a person can progressively realize personal goals that will lead to realizing of his unique potential and personal fulfillment.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uj/uj:1983 |
| Date | 06 February 2012 |
| Creators | Jansen van Rensburg, Vivienne |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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