Final Exam Flashcards
What are the parts of the rubicon model?
Predecisional phase
Postdecisional phase
Actional phase
Postactional phase
What is the predecisional phase?
The goal setting phase
What is the postdecisional phase?
The goal planning phase
What is the actional phase?
The goal striving phase
What is the intention-behaviour gap?
the disconnection between a person’s intentions (to achieve a goal) and their actions
What are outcome simulations?
When you fantasize about what it will be like when you achieve your goal
What are process simulations?
When you focus on the steps required to achieve your goal
What are implementation intentions?
If-then plans that specify the exact behaviour you’ll use in a particular situation
What are goal intentions?
Statements that identify the endpoint of the goal
What are implementation intentions?
Statements that specify the way you will achieve your goal
What are the 4 benefits of implementation intentions?
- they help with goal persistence
- they help with overriding bad habits
- they help with goal initiation
- they help with controlling inner states of emotion
What does S.M.A.R.T stand for?
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Timely
Define the S of S.M.A.R.T goals
Specific: the who, what, where, when, which
Defining the goal as much as possible to avoid ambiguity
Define the M of S.M.A.R.T goals
Measurable: the from and to
The ability to track the progress and measure the outcome
Define the A of S.M.A.R.T goals
Attainable: the how
How to accomplish the goal, is it reasonable enough to be accomplished?
Define the R of S.M.A.R.T goals
Relevant: is the goal worthwhile and will it meet your needs?
Define the T of S.M.A.R.T goals
Timely: the when
Your objective needs a timeline
What factors influence the success of implementation intentions
Goal commitment, Self-efficacy, Self-control
Why is it important to be flexible?
Rigid and detailed plans reduce your sense of autonomy and causes the “what the hell” effect
Why is accountability important?
The more accountable your plan is, the easier it is to see when you are failing and need to increase effort
What is the planning fallacy?
The tendency for people to be overly optimistic with their plans
What is perceived expertise?
The individual evaluation of one’s knowledge on a topic, believing they know all there is
Thinking you are an expert does not make you so
What is loss aversion?
The attempt to avoid anything bad
What is the simulation heuristic?
The tendency for people to judge the likelihood of an event by how easily it can be imagined
Give an example of a simulation heuristic
“If I didn’t stop for coffee, then I wouldn’t be late”
What is self regulation?
Our capacity to alter our response and behaviours
What are standards?
Our ideas about how things SHOULD be
What is the ideal self?
What we personally hope to become in the future
What is the undesired self?
Our greatest fears for ourselves
What is Higgin’s self-discrepancy theory?
The theory that we feel dejected when we think our actual self is not aligned with our ideal/ought self
What is the ought self?
The self of duties and obligations
What is regulatory focus?
How an individual frames their goals
What are the directions of regulatory focus?
Promotion oriented and Prevention oriented
How are approach goals and promotion goals different?
Promotional goals have a bigger outcome in mind
- study to get a good grade
- study to get a good grade to improve your GPA
How are avoidance goals and prevention goals different?
Avoidance goals have a bigger outcome in mind
- perform well to avoid an F
- perform well to avoid an F and keep their scholarship
What is regulatory fit?
When a person’s regulatory focus matches the focus of the situation of the task
How do cultural differences affect promotion vs prevention oriented goals?
Western cultures tend to adopt a promotion-orientation while european cultures tend to adopt a prevention-orientation
What is the self-awareness theory?
The theory that when we feel as if our actual self is not living up to our standards, we feel motivated to reduce discrepancy
What is objective self awareness?
A reflective state with attention focused on ourselves
When we are self-aware, it often produces negative emotions, we often believe that we’re falling short of our standards
What is monitoring?
When we keep track of behaviours that we want to regulate
What is the Tote Model Method?
The internal feedback loop of our monitoring our behaviours
What does the T.O.T.E model stand for?
Test, Operate, Test, Exit
Explain the Ts of the Tote model method
Test: comparing your current state to your desired state
Explain the O of the Tote model method
Operate: exert effort to reduce the discrepancy between current and desired state
Explain the E of the Tote model method
Exit: When the discrepancy is eliminated because we achieved or abandoned our goal
How does the Tote model method introduce a feedback loop?
Within the Operate and Re-test.
The second test tells us if we are close enough to our desired state, if not we operate again
How does strength impact goal striving?
Goal striving requires us to emphasize the future over the present
If we have no strength, then we cannot focus on the future
What is the limited resource model?
The idea that strength is both limited and a general resource
How is strength a limited resource? How is it a general resource?
Limited: we only have so much self control, when it is out we have no more
General: There are a number of ways to tap into strength and self control
What is inhibitory insanity?
When we exert self-control in one domain, it becomes impaired and reduces the ability to exert self control in other domains
How can your reduce self control failures
- Plan your day with depletion in mind
- Avoid taking on too many goals at once
- Create a habit
- Avoid complete bans
How can you boost self-control?
- Practice
- Re-train your brain
- Take breaks
- Seek out autonomy
- Believe in yourself
What is the sunk cost effect?
When you’ve invested SO MUCH into your goal, that it is hard to let it go
Which part of the brain enables people to hold a goal in mind?
The lateral section of the prefrontal cortex
Which part of the brain is activated when people reflect on their goals?
The medial prefrontal cortex
Which part of the brain helps the brain prepare for action?
The premotor cortex
Which part of the brain detects discrepancies between your actual and desired states?
The dorsal anterior cingulated cortex
Once a discrepancy is detected, which parts of the brain help regulate people’s goal directed behaviour?
The premotor cortex
The primary motor cortex
The basal ganglia
Which parts of the brain allow individual to exert self-control and inhibit undesirable responses?
The prefrontal cortex
The inferior frontal gyrus
What is the James-Lange Theory on emotions?
The theory that we experience our emotions before we react to the stimulus
When a fearful stimulus is present, it automatically activates our sympathetic nervous system
How do the two parts of the autonomic nervous system work?
The sympathetic nervous system prepares the body for action while the parasympathetic nervous system brings us back to calm
What is the Cannon-Bard theory of emotions?
The theory that emotions occur simultaneously with reactions/behaviour
Which part of the brain plays a part in the Cannon-Bard theory? How?
The thalamus interprets and reacts to the situation before the conscious mind can
What is the Schachter-Singer cognitive labelling theory?
The theory that emotions are caused by the combination of physical arousal and a cognitive label
We identify the arousal and act accordingly
What is the misattribution of arousal?
The possibility that we can be tricked into feeling a particular emotion because there is no clear explanation for the immediate situation
Give an example of the misattribution of arousal?
The lab lies and tells you the wrong side-effects of a vaccine
You feel more agitated because you experience something else (unexplainable)
What is Lazarus’ Appraisal theory?
The theory that cognitions precede arousal
Explain the primary and secondary appraisals in Lazarus’ theory
Primary: initial perception of the stimulus - is it good/bad/irrelevant?
Secondary: assessment of stimulus - do I have the ability to cope with this right now?
What are the 3 layers of the brain? To which animal do they relate?
Brainstem: reptile
Subcortical region: mouse
Cortex: monkey
Why is the brainstem your ‘reptile’ brain?
It is the most basic part of the brain, responsible for safety and maintenance (no higher function)
Why is the subcortical region your ‘mouse’ brain?
It is the secondary brain section, responsible for emotions and memory
Why is the cortex your ‘monkey’ brain
The most advanced part of the brain, used for higher processes
What are the requirements of core emotions?
Innate, universal, expressed in a distinct way
What is Ekman’s work on core emotions?
Suggesting that there are 6 core emotions, he went to an isolated tribe and showed them the series of images. They all accurately depicted the same thing for the same emotions (universal, expressed distinctly)
What is Plutchik’s work on core emotions?
Suggesting there are 8 core emotions, he links them to a corresponding motive
Stating that core emotions serve a unique evolutionary motive
According to Plutchik’s work, link the core emotions to their motive
Anger, Joy, Anticipation, Disgust, Sadness, Surprise, Fear, Trust
Anger:Destruction
Joy:Reproduction
Anticipation:Exploration
Disgust:Rejection
Sadness:Reunion
Surprise:Orientation
Fear:Protection
Trust:Affiliation
According to Plutchik’s work, link the core emotions to their motive - explain WHY
Destruction, Reproduction, Exploration, Rejection, Reunion, Orientation, Protection, Affiliation
Anger:Destruction
Joy:Reproduction
Anticipation:Exploration
Disgust:Rejection
Sadness:Reunion
Surprise:Orientation
Fear:Protection
Trust:Affiliation
What is Fredrickson’s Broadened-and-Bulit theory?
The theory that positive emotions broaden our attention and thoughts and help us build up our resources
According to Fredrickson, how to positive and negative emotions differ?
Positive emotions produce nonspecific cognitive responses
Negative emotions produce specific actional responses
What is emotional regulation?
the way in which people try to influence which emotions they experience, when they’re experienced, and how they are expressed
WHAT-WHEN-HOW
What are the five models of emotional regulation?
Situational selection
Situational modification
Attentional deployment
Cognitive change
Response modulation
What is the situational selection model of emotional regulation? Give an example
Seeking out situations based on their emotional impact
EX: skipping Xmas dinner because there is always a fight
What is the situational modification model of emotional regulation? Give an example
Changing the external environment to direct it towards a different emotional outcome
EX: making a joke about your bad memory to avoid the embarrassment of getting a name wrong
What is the attentional deployment model of emotional regulation? Give an example
Changing the internal environment to redirect your attention or distract yourself
EX: focusing on the tv to distract yourself from the dentist
What is the cognitive change model of emotional regulation? Give an example
Changing the meaning of a situation to change your emotional response to it
EX: when someone cuts you off in traffic “What an ass” becomes “Wow I hope everything is okay!”
What is the response modulation model of emotional regulation? Give an example
Directly changing your behaviour to decrease the intensity of your emotion
EX: listening to music, deep breathing, etc.
What is equifinality? Give an example
The distinction that goals vary in the number of ways they can be attained
A goal that can be accomplished in various ways has high equifinality
EX: to be in better shape, you can run/gym/sport/etc
What are the 3 common mistakes in goal planning?
Planning fallacy
Perceived expertise
Loss aversion
What is multifinality? Give an example
Multifinality is the distinction that many goals can be accomplished by the same means
EX: getting good grades will help you pass, get a high GPA, get into grad school, etc
What are higher order goals? Give an example
An overarching goal that houses other smaller goals
Getting good grades > pass classes > high GPA > get into grad school
What are goal means?
The way you achieve your goals
In goal systems theory, how do goal means connect goals and higher-order goals?
We expect that the goals can be accomplished by the same means if they are housed under the same higher-order goal
What is goal systems theory? Give an example
The theory that when multiple goals are housed under a higher-order goal, they should be connected
Steps towards the same outcome should be linkable
Study hard + attend all lectures = get good grades = go to grad school
How can you improve goal commitment?
Indulging
Dwelling
Mental contrasting
What is indulging? How does it boost goal commitment?
Give an example
The mental elaboration on a positive future
Boosts commitment by allowing you to see how good it COULD be
EX: how happy you will be when you complete the 10k race
What is dwelling? How does it boost goal commitment?
Give an example
The mental elaboration on the negative present state
Boosts commitment by focusing on how bad things are currently
EX: Focusing on all the reasons why you can’t succeed
What is mental contrasting? How does it boost goal commitment?
Give an example
The comparing of the positive future against the negative present
Makes the future look even better, more desirable
EX: How happy you’ll be when you finish the 10k, and what is currently holding you back
Where do goals come from? (3 factors)
Need
Demands
Culture
How can the gap between intentions and actions be minimized?
Using outcome or process simulations
What is the difference between outcome and process simulations?
Outcome simulations focus on the emotions following the achievement of the goal while process simulations focus on the coming steps towards acheivement
What is the difference between goal and implementation intentions?
The goal intention defines the endpoint of the goal while implementation intentions define the plans/exact behaviour you’ll use in a particular situation
What are the reasons people fail to achieve their goals?
Their self-esteem is challenged
The sunk-cost effect
If your goal is to “Do well in school” what could the 5-step implementation intention process look like?
Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely
EX: I currently have a 7.8GPA and want to achieve at least a 9.0GPA by the time I graduate in a year, so that I have a better chance at grad school.
What are framing effects? Provide an example
That the means of achieving a goal will change based on how you frame the desired outcome (promotion vs prevention)
EX: I want a high grade
- Promotion: I’ll study to learn and keep doing well
- Prevention: I’ll cheat so I don’t fail this class
What is a goal / What are the 4 important aspects of a goal?
A future oriented, cognitive representation toward/away from a specified outcome
(Future, cognitive, directed, specific)
Define goal specificity and difficulty, how do they impact goal setting?
Difficulty: how hard the goal is to achieve - we are more likely to accomplish harder goals
Specificity: how precise our goal is - without specificity our goal is not defined enough and loses value
Are we more likely to achieve easy or difficult goals? Why?
We are more likely to achieve difficult goals because they require us to put in the work whereas easy goals may not seem like big achievements
What is upwards counterfactual thinking? Give an example
When you imagine a more positive alternative to what the situation is
EX: If I hadn’t turned left, I wouldn’t be stuck in traffic
What is downward counterfactual thinking? Give an example
When you imagine a negative alternative to the situation
EX: If I hadn’t taken that job, I’d be bankrupt!
What is the expectancy-value theory?
The idea that people are more likely to pursue a goal when you expect you are able to and the goal has a high value
What is a distal goal? a proximal goal?
Distal: long-term goal, achieved in the future
Proximal: short-term goal, achieved sooner
What are the features of a goal?
Difficulty, Expectations, Proximity, Specificity, Value
What is the “what the hell” effect?
When you have acted against your goal and become more likely to give into impulses
“Ah what the hell I already did it once, might as well do it again”
