Analysis of Snape Part 6 - End

[AyanEva]

No: HPFGUIDX 122023



Last bit of the paper, hope you enjoyed it! Food for thought

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B.F. Skinner believed that all adult behavior could be traced back to
the consequences of punishments and rewards received as a child.  The
consequences a person's behavior shapes his personality; this concept
is termed Operant Conditioning.  There are far fewer variables to
discuss regarding Severus Snape's personality when studying it from a
Behavioral perspective.  Severus was most likely sporadically rewarded
as a child for behavior that pleased his father.  This behavior was
most likely that which was most similar to his father's own personal
desires, rather than behavior influenced by his son's interests. 
Severus would have been punished for any other behavior that did not
fall within the narrow confines of actions that met his father's
approval.  Conversely, Severus may not have been rewarded or punished,
simply ignored.  Therefore, he was always attempting to engage in
behavior that would result in either a reward or punishment; either
way, he was still receiving attention, even if it was negative. 
Severus' father's behavior was certain to attract few friends and by
modeling that behavior, Severus' had few friends as well.  Those
around him normally have negative reactions towards him due to his
unsociable behavior.  Societies negative reactions cause Severus to
behave in an even more undesirable manner, perpetuating the cycle of
negativity and isolation.  Having only developed the behavior
necessary to interact with his father, Severus must adapt to his
social environment by seeking out father figures with whom he may
interact in a similar manner to his biological father.  These father
figures manifested themselves in the forms of the Dark Lord and Albus
Dumbledore.

Erik Erikson's theory of Life Span And Identity Crises examines the
internal drive states of an individual as they are determined and
affected by their social environment.  B.F. Skinner's theory of
Operant Conditioning is concerned only with the observable effects of
the internal consequences of the social environment on an individual's
personality, which in turn, influences their displayed behavior.

(End of paper)


AyanEva (who forgot to sign the other posts in the series, sorry! I
was overly excited about posting!)