Glossary
Identification of self as role model
What is identification of self as role model?
Identification as a role model means telling someone that their own behavior may provide an example for other people.
How the technique is defined
The focus is the person's potential influence on others. Showing the person someone else's behavior is a different technique, demonstration of the behavior.
Illustrative example
A team leader is told, “New employees learn what matters here by watching what you do. When you perform each equipment check, you show them that the checks are part of the job.” The technique draws attention to the leader’s example, rather than only to the personal benefit of safe behavior.
Why use it?
The original BCT Taxonomy v1 definitions identify this as technique 13.1. The idea is to make someone’s influence on others a reason to act. That may be relevant for parents, teachers and team leaders. But calling someone a role model does not give them the time, skills or resources to perform the behavior; those conditions still need attention. The taxonomy names the technique, rather than demonstrating its effectiveness.