Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Achievement Needs
Achievement striving is a good thing! People high on the need for achievement have high goals and standards People high on the need for achievement like challenges and feedback on their efforts Achievement needs lead to curiosity and exploration High achievement oriented students strive for good grades Success at achievement leads to self-esteem!
Self-Regulation
Goal Hierarchy
Our goals are arranged in a hierarchy from highest to lowest levels At the top are the more general and abstract goals (e.g., values and core needs) Lower level goals are more specific and concrete goals (e.g., appearance, material things, fame, school marks) More general or higher-level goals regulate or control lower-level goals and behaviors
Buy flowers for Linda (Program) Output for 2 and goal 3 C2 C3 Input 3
Input 2
Self-Esteem
Self-esteem tends to be among our highest goals and needs Most people pursue self-esteem, one way or another People pursue self-esteem by meeting goals and standards Low self-esteem or self-worth is associated with negative affect and depression
Core Needs
We also have core needs These core needs include: autonomy, competence, and relatedness These are like intrinsic interests and goals They are located at the top of goal hierarchies They guide lower level goals and actions Meeting core needs leads to emotional well-being
Intrinsic Goals
Extrinsic Goals
Often we strive for concrete goals located at lower levels of the goal hierarchy This is similar to the pursuit of extrinsic goals and interests (e.g., school marks, appearance, social approval, wealth, fame)
Extrinsic goals are often parts of contingencies of worth (criteria we use to merit self-worth)
Such lower-level goals can expose us to the uncertainties of changing fortunes
Comparator
Self-regulation occurs by using an evaluator component called the comparator
The comparator evaluates or compares the feedback we get from the environment (input) with goals and standards Adjustments to the output are made by the individual to reduce discrepancies between goals and input High-level loops based on goals and comparisons set the goals for the loops directly below them
Emotions
In self-regulation theory, emotions are signals to individuals about their rate of progress toward their goals Positive emotions arise when there is progress towards our goals Negative emotions arise when there is no progress towards goals
Consistent failure at reaching some goal would eventually lead to the abandonment of such a goal
This makes good sense in that personal resources are not depleted in the pursuit of unobtainable goals Disengaging from goals that no longer work prevents further emotional problems
Type A Behavior
In Type A behavior, the individual pursues success and control in a compulsive way Type A personalities become very stressed when their goals are thwarted
Sometimes individuals cannot disengage from their goals after failure experiences
The goals are too important to them to give up
One reason for this might be that they have few other goals to switch to as substitutes
The goals may be important to their self-esteem or identity This leads to further stress and emotional turmoil
Self-esteem as a Consequence
Contingencies of worth are criteria that can determine our self-worth Extrinsic and lower-level goals in the goal hierarchy are used in contingencies of worth The consequences of meeting contingencies of worth is self-esteem So as long as we can meet our contingencies of worth, we are fine Problem occurs when we are unable to meet our contingencies of worth The consequence of not meeting our contingencies of worth is low selfesteem
Performance oriented learning is focused on protecting self-esteem (e.g., through achievement or approval):
- an ego defensive orientation - can have long-term detrimental effects - short term learning benefits
Summary
The benefits of pursuing extrinsic goals only lasts while we are successful
Pursuing higher level goals and core needs directly (e.g., self-esteem) can be counter productive Core needs can best be satisfied indirectly, by pursuing intrinsic goals and values
Some Conclusions
Emotional disorders reflect difficulties with the control and regulation of self-esteem The control of self-esteem is important for our long-term well-being When we pursue intrinsic goals, we satisfy our core needs When we pursue intrinsic goals, we are more likely to be happy and have control over our self-worth
Thank You!