Psychology of Learning – D566 Karis: A Learning
Persona Analysis – Task 2 2025 Western Governors
University
Karis: A Learning Persona Analysis – Task 2
Western Governors University
Psychology of Learning – D566
Dr. Jessilon Madison
, A. Persona
Karis was an eight-year-old girl in a lower-income white family living in a wealthy Bible Belt
suburb in Northern Georgia. Her father was a construction worker, and her mother was a stay-
at-home parent. She was the oldest of 4 children, and her young parents were often abusive
and preoccupied.
She attended a highly rated public school where most of the children came from wealthy
homes. She had a wonderful teacher whom she adored and often tried to emulate, but she was
often bullied by her peers because of her second-hand clothing, poor hygiene, and odd
behavior. She was not supervised much of the time by her parents and had access to the
internet through her school’s laptop and Wi-Fi assistance program, but the slow speed of the
internet and the low quality of the computer discouraged her from spending much time on it,
and she did not like waiting. She preferred to be active outside, climbing trees, building forts,
and creating things. Eventually, she preferred to read and sometimes write.
A.1 Contextual Influences
Karis belonged to a Christian, church-going family and believed in the Bible as interpreted by
the Southern Baptist church. She enjoyed her Bible classes and helped watch the little ones
during summer Bible school. The adults she worked with said she was helpful, loving, and
responsible. She had an anxious attachment style, worked hard, and her outcome expectation
was positive regard and appreciation from others. As she learned how to care for small
children, she built self-efficacy in her caregiving skills and received positive attention from
adults here (Western Governors University, n.d.).
She also loved her schoolteacher, Mrs. Shoe. Mrs. Shoe practiced a humanistic teaching style
with unconditional positive regard for her students. She was loved by all the children. Karis
emulated Mrs. Shoe because she modeled prestige and competence and worked hard to please
her. At first, she tried the same hairstyles with matching barrettes and soft waves, but then she
tried repeating mannerisms and the way she talked, which was indicative of Observational
Learning (Western Governors University, n.d.).
One day, Mrs. Shoe began reading ‘Charlotte’s Web’ to the class, and Karis was enraptured. She
began reading on her own, and after that, she was rarely without a book in her hand. The
vicarious consequences of Mrs. Shoe’s passion for reading and enjoyment of the book lit a fire
(metaphorically speaking), and Karis learned that reading was not only for learning but also an
escape from the world around her which was not always as welcoming. Learning to read for
pleasure was a life-long skill for Karis (Western Governors University, n.d.).
B. Individual Difference: ADHD
Persona Analysis – Task 2 2025 Western Governors
University
Karis: A Learning Persona Analysis – Task 2
Western Governors University
Psychology of Learning – D566
Dr. Jessilon Madison
, A. Persona
Karis was an eight-year-old girl in a lower-income white family living in a wealthy Bible Belt
suburb in Northern Georgia. Her father was a construction worker, and her mother was a stay-
at-home parent. She was the oldest of 4 children, and her young parents were often abusive
and preoccupied.
She attended a highly rated public school where most of the children came from wealthy
homes. She had a wonderful teacher whom she adored and often tried to emulate, but she was
often bullied by her peers because of her second-hand clothing, poor hygiene, and odd
behavior. She was not supervised much of the time by her parents and had access to the
internet through her school’s laptop and Wi-Fi assistance program, but the slow speed of the
internet and the low quality of the computer discouraged her from spending much time on it,
and she did not like waiting. She preferred to be active outside, climbing trees, building forts,
and creating things. Eventually, she preferred to read and sometimes write.
A.1 Contextual Influences
Karis belonged to a Christian, church-going family and believed in the Bible as interpreted by
the Southern Baptist church. She enjoyed her Bible classes and helped watch the little ones
during summer Bible school. The adults she worked with said she was helpful, loving, and
responsible. She had an anxious attachment style, worked hard, and her outcome expectation
was positive regard and appreciation from others. As she learned how to care for small
children, she built self-efficacy in her caregiving skills and received positive attention from
adults here (Western Governors University, n.d.).
She also loved her schoolteacher, Mrs. Shoe. Mrs. Shoe practiced a humanistic teaching style
with unconditional positive regard for her students. She was loved by all the children. Karis
emulated Mrs. Shoe because she modeled prestige and competence and worked hard to please
her. At first, she tried the same hairstyles with matching barrettes and soft waves, but then she
tried repeating mannerisms and the way she talked, which was indicative of Observational
Learning (Western Governors University, n.d.).
One day, Mrs. Shoe began reading ‘Charlotte’s Web’ to the class, and Karis was enraptured. She
began reading on her own, and after that, she was rarely without a book in her hand. The
vicarious consequences of Mrs. Shoe’s passion for reading and enjoyment of the book lit a fire
(metaphorically speaking), and Karis learned that reading was not only for learning but also an
escape from the world around her which was not always as welcoming. Learning to read for
pleasure was a life-long skill for Karis (Western Governors University, n.d.).
B. Individual Difference: ADHD
