Sometime in ancient history a wise one made the observation that humans influence each other inadvertently. Children mimic older children and adults. Adults mimic other adults who they admire. In a sense, we are all someone’s rock star, though more often than not, the interpersonal influence is not intentional or even fully conscious. In the 20th century this insight took on formal credibility as a number of social science researchers, such as Albert Bandura and his Social Learning Theory, applied research designs to measure and test how we influence one another. This construct became known as observational learning, or more popularly, role modeling.
Role modeling is just part of the ecology: we influence and are influenced by each other, just like acorns fall down from trees and spring follows winter in temperate climates. Even other animals demonstrate observational learning between generations. The natural progression is to not just recognize but to engineer observational learning. The idea is to harness interpersonal influence for individual or public good. This is one of the most widely used techniques in health promotion. We try to teach parents to be better examples for their children, with respect to smoking, diet, exercise, safety, and so forth. Another approach is to use older students to influence younger ones. Often the cachet of athletes is exploited for this purpose.
It gets more sensitive when role modeling is based on specific individuals because we are all multidimensional. Barack Obama is a good role model because he publicly exercises and stays trim. On the other hand he smokes, though to his credit, he’s made this very private behavior. Lindsey Lohan could be a good role model if she was willing. She certainly has a platform, and has numerous qualities thought desirable by many teens. She hasn’t actively chosen to be a bad role model, but only to succumb to her own destructive patterns.
Some years ago I heard a radio interview with Frank Shorter, who was a very well known long distance runner in the 60s and 70s, winning a gold and silver medal in the Olympic marathon in 1972 and 1976, respectively. At the time of the interview he was still running competitively. The radio host, admiring his muscle stamina and cardiovascular endurance, asked him about his diet. My first thought was, “Oh great, he can give a personal testimony for whole grains, fruits and vegetables.” Turned out he ate mostly junk food and beer. We didn’t make him a poster boy for health and wellness!
Clergy could be important health role models because they play a central leadership role in many communities and congregations. Because they function as first responders for all kinds of life events, they have many opportunities to be sources of constructive observational learning. Unfortunately, evidence shows that as a group (see Clergy Health Initiative), they are not particularly healthy. Among their ranks, overweight is more common than in their non-clergy peers, and the prevalence of many chronic diseases is higher. They are in a position to be positive role models, and are often sought out by health promotion advocates to take on that role, but there are obviously some obstacles.
What if you don’t want to be a role model? Can leaders put boundaries around themselves? Leadership (starting with parent leaders) usually means people will intrude on your privacy. Is your example something you can titrate, measuring out how much and when it is released? I don’t think we can. We can choose to be better or worse, and there is a scientific approach to coaching people to be better role models. Some people are unwilling or just unsuited to be health examples.
Using role modeling as a health promotion technique is in opposition to the more extreme views of independence and libertarianism. “Don’t tread on me!” can also mean “I take no responsibility for what people learn from me. It is not my fault if someone is making bad choices, just because they see me do it.” If you identify with a community approach to making life better, observational learning resonates. If you think everyone should just mind their own business, not so much.
Who is watching you? You can be a health promotion advocate by your example. Or maybe not.
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