Psych Exam #1/ Lecture #4 Chp 4 (Actions & Choices) Flashcards
Self-regulation
Any act of self-control, or any situation in which behavior is purposefully directed towards a goal
Why is self-regulation necessary?
- Health goals-weightloss, fitness, overcoming addictions
* Achievement goals-academic and career success
* Financial goals-debt vs savings
* Relationship goals-resisting temptations of others, as well as ability to engage in pro-relationship action in the face of anger
What things influence self-regulation?
Automatic processes and conscious decisions
Steps to Achieve a Goal
- 1: Must identify clear standard or goal
- 2: Must monitor one’s performance relevant to standard or goal
- 3: Must be able to change behavior to pursue standard or goal
Goal selection
Automatic: goal selection and pursuit often occurs through the automatic system, outside of conscious awareness
Zeigarnik effect
incomplete goals will automatically come to mind -unbidden reminders of undone tasks
How else can goals be activated or reminded?
- Goals can also be activated by particular situations or by people associated with the goal –or any strongly associated reminder
Goal framing
How we think about the goal
Action identification
how do we represent the task at hand?
How can a goal or behavior be represented?
- Any behavior or goal may be represented at a high or a low level
* Low level: “I’m laying bricks”
* High level: “I’m building a cathedral”
High level goal framing
- High levels can be more motivating and lead to greater engagement if you are already good at the task or it is simple (e.g., Zappos “delivering happiness”)
- an be terrifying and lead to withdrawing from the goal (or freezing) if you are not confident/competent
Goal preparation
- getting ready
* Any behaviors performed to prepare for goal pursuit
What things can we do for goal preparation?
Information gathering, Situational tuning, Mental rehearsal
Information gathering
(e.g., learning about quitting smoking)
Situational tuning
e.g., throwing out all of your ashtrays), includes social tuning and altering relationships. When certain goals are primed we will draw closer to others who are instrumental in achieving those goals, and draw away from those who are not
Mental rehearsal
Imagining success;
Research has shown that mentally rehearsing achieving the goal is ONLY helpful when goal pursuit is simple/close at hand
* BUT mental rehearsal of pursuing the goal (especially overcoming anticipated obstacles) is MORE helpful, especially when goal pursuit is difficult or must be maintained over a long time period
Difference between difficulty of goal monitoring and changing behavior?
- Monitoring is easy, changing behavior is hard
Goal Monitoring
- Automatic: standards evoked whenever one is self-aware
* Controlled: Carver & Scheier: TOTE model
TOTE model
- TOTE: Test, Operate, Test Again, Exit.
* Test: compare self to standard, if discrepant take action, test again until satisfied OR disengage
What aspect is important for goal monitoring and maintenance?
Optimism important: if you do not feel a goal is achievable (not reducing discrepancy fast enough), you’ll often will disengage rather than continue to pursue it (even if discrepant)
Why is breaking down goals helpful?
- This is why sometimes breaking a larger goal into smaller subgoals is helpful, increases motivation by making the discrepancy with standard seem smaller/more achievable
Why does self-regulation succeed or fail?
Self control! Some people are just better than others a self-control
Marshmallow or Cookie test
Can have one cookie as soon as you ring the bell, but if wait until experimenter gets back, can have more cookies
Mischel’s work
Reliable differences in ability to delay gratification at age 4
Related to cognitive skill in focusing on ‘cold’ rather than ‘hot’ properties of stimuli (“fluffy clouds”)
Also related to behavioral control (e.g., not looking at the marshmallow)
indicator of self-control
delayed gratification
Mischel’s 4 year olds with good self-regulation/self-control
In their teens, better grades and better SATs (controlling for IQ) Better peer relationships Less drug and alcohol abuse In their 30s, Fewer divorces Higher career achievement Higher net worth/better credit scores Lower rates of obesity Lower rates of incarceration
what traits have impact on the 4 year olds self-control?
Initial performance can reflect social class, as well as other cultural differences –but can also be learned/boosted through early childhood interventions
as adults, good regulators show what?
- automatic association of temptations with the superordinate goal
(e. g donut means thin if you’re on a diet) - Can explain why mentally rehearsing obstacles on the path to goal pursuit is so much better then imagining outcome
Hot Properties Vs Cold Properties of a temptation
Hot are the good parts (sugary, sweet, smelling or licking)
Cold are unrelated to temptation (fluffy cloud)
behavioral control
looking away from marshallow
Strength model of self-control
- All acts of self-control seem to draw upon same regulatory ‘resource’ –analogy to a muscle that can get “tired” after use
- dominant for 20 yrs
- The fact that self-control feels as if it is tapping into all one resource helps explain why pursuing more than one type of self-control at a time is VERY hard (why you shouldn’t quit smoking and go on a diet at the same time)
- Should be capable of both temporary exhaustion, and long term strengthening with “exercise”
Examples of “muscle”/strength model of self-control
- Thought suppression for 5 minutes (“don’t think of a white bear”)–resulted in less persistence on unsolvable anagram task compared to “think about anything you want”
- Emotion suppression– inhibiting emotional expression while watching a movie led to lower ability to hold closed a handgrip
- Resisting cookies and chocolates in a taste test led to less persistence on an anagram task
Muraven’s posture study
- participants who practiced their posture for 2 weeks, were less depleted in a lab manipulation (thought suppression) than those who didn’t
- Implies the more you control the self, the better you get at it. . .so should diet AFTER successfully quitting smoking (or vice versa)
- part of the muscle model
Self-Control as a “Bank”
- Newer models imply it is more like monitoring a bank account –the more we spend, the less willing we are to spend later if we think we risk running out. So we ‘budget’ our efforts.
- Some people believe “self-control” is unlimited. . .and for them, it appears to be.
- so can’t be an actual limited resource.
why does “practice” work for self-control? (under bank model)
- It teaches us how big our account really is. . .and how easily it can be replenished
- The reason beliefs about “unlimited” self-control works is that they don’t worry about running out
Growth/Incremental Mindset
“I believe that my (personality, intelligence, character) can be continuously developed. My true potential is unknown and unknowable”
Individuals w/ Growth or Incremental Mindset
- not afraid to fail
- put lots of effort to learn
- desire continuous learning
- confront uncertainties
Fixed/Entity Mindset
“I believe that my (personality, intelligence, character) is inherent and static. My potential is determined at birth. It doesn’t change.”
Individual w/ fixed Mindset
- desire to look smart
- avoids challenges
- stick to what they know
- Feedback and criticism is personal
- they don’t change or improve
Why is our mindset important for goals?
- May be the key to persisting in ANY goal pursuit
- Different interpretation of signals sent by failure/obstacles/difficulties
- If entity –the feeling of difficulty or exerting effort or persisting after failure is unpleasant because it means you’re just not good at something
- If incremental – that same feeling is NOT unpleasant – it means you are working towards something you are not good at YET
What mindset do we have in the U.S and Why?
We are largely entity believers in the US.
We discuss fostering a child’s “natural talents” or abilities.
We tell them they are smart, charming, athletic, great at math, have beautiful voices, etc.
How to cultivate growth mindest
- Parents: Praise children for EFFORT not ability
- Ignore performance (at least a little bit), and focus on the process of learning/mastery
- Teach them that struggling signifies progress, and is normal, often necessary to master a subject. NOT a threat to their self-beliefs about intelligence
- In schools: teach students the truth that people are incredibly changeable – whether in academic skills, social skills, or personality
