THE PROCESS IN ANSWERING MY QUESTION:
To answer my inquiry question…
Step 1: I have to ask questions and research relevant topics
Some topics that I would like to research that are centralized around my question are …
- Early childhood education
- Memories (what memories are we more likely to remember, memories that connect with our 5 senses, if memories can be manipulated, memories that connect with emotion)
- Trauma and negative memories
- Core beliefs and values that correspond to make our identity
- Parts of the brain that are used with memory and emotion (Amygdala + Hippocampus)
I need to research these topics as my goal is to research how memories and emotions are connected, and how these memories create the base to our personality, our beliefs and our view on the world. Our core beliefs and values are a big part of what makes us who we are, and why we can be so stubborn to the possibility to have to change our beliefs. Most memories that affect our emotions are in early childhood. Depending on whether early childhood memories are positive or negative, they can affect future mental health problems, including trauma (a negative experience that has altered our life), depression and anxiety. Each memory has meaning or an emotion behind it, and in my question, I will explore this concept that our identity as individuals is influenced by memories and the emotion behind those memories that occur in early childhood.
This is the beginning process to my research and it is the important to ask as many questions as possible, find credible sources, and advance my research.
Step 2: Connect research to create answers/conclusions
I do not expect that my research will answer all my questions about the brain and human behaviour, but I can start to create some conclusions that will advance my research. Sometimes, to find more answers, I must create a new hypothesis and then research some more.
This cycle may never stop, because research will continually produce more and more questions, but in my inquiry project this is encouraged. In this step, I will continue to piece research and answers together, but I will continue to research and reflect.
This step is important to my research, to focus on the main information that I need to, so that I don’t get caught in circles, while researching.
Step 3: Final conclusion
In my final conclusion, I will relate all my research back to my primary initial inquiry question, “how do childhood experiences influence our identity as individuals”. After I am done, I will most likely have a lot of relevant and irrelevant research, so in this step, I will sort all this research out and then create a final conclusion based off of this information. I will try my best to answer my question, using good sources in my research.
This step is important to create conclusions to my research to find relevance in the importance and how I could use this information in the future.
Impact on community: This question can not only impact my community, but a cause much bigger that should be aware of the power of early childhood education and how it can change a society, if we influence children correctly. By my research, I will be looking at childhood memories, the key parts of any life directly influence who we are as people. By promoting this cause and others learning about early childhood development, we can become more aware of all the mental health problems that are directly influenced from early childhood. Recognizing this problem and how we can help it is the first step to fixing it. In the future, once I have collected more research, I want to be able to promote this cause and eventually help individuals who are dealing with negative memories from their childhood and communities struggling with mental health problems.
5 valid sources: From my research in the past, I have many resources that I have used, and which can be a good start to my research.
Some websites….
Silva, Daniela. “Neuroscience and Brain Child Development | NHEG.” New Heights Educational Group, Inc., 19 June 2018, newheightseducation.org/educational-articles/neuroscience-and-brain-child-development/.
“Neural Pathways: How Your Mind Stores the Info and Thoughts That Affect Your Behaviour.” LifeXchange, lifexchangesolutions.com/neural-pathways/.
Plus a book….
Ralls, Emily, and Tom Collins. Psychology: 50 Key Ideas Unpacked. Sirius Entertainment, 5 Mar. 2024.
Hi Ariana,
Your research topics, such as early childhood education, memory, trauma, and brain regions like the amygdala and hippocampus, are all relevant and well-chosen for understanding how childhood experiences shape identity. Tying this research to community impact, particularly in advocating for early childhood education and the recognition of mental health issues stemming from childhood experiences, makes this information not only academically important but socially relevant. Providing a specific example or case study, even if just an anecdotal one, could help to illustrate your points. For instance, are there any studies or real-life examples where early childhood trauma or positive experiences have led to distinct personality traits or behaviors later in life?
Here are some sources you might find helpful:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fixing-families/201903/4-key-ways-your-childhood-shapes-you?msockid=19b3196cfb906fb227fc0c5ffa606e76
https://www.verywellmind.com/why-identity-matters-and-how-it-shapes-us-7504546
-Amy