DATA CENTER COLLEGE OF THE PHILIPPINES OF BANGUED, ABRA, INC.

Brgy. Ubbog, Lipcan, Bangued 2800 Abra

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

TOPIC 1: THE POWER OF THE MIND: THE WHOLE BRAIN THEORY

What is the whole Brain Theory?

Scientists, medical doctors, psychologists, and psychiatrists have always been
fascinated with the brain and how it works. Studies concluded on the brain often starts
with an attempt to understand a brain-related disease or malfunction. In 1861, Paul
Broca conducted a study on the language and left-right brain specialization on a patient
who had problems with language. After several tests, Broca theorized that some
language functions reside on the left side of the brain (Morris, 2006).

Dr. Roger Sperry (The Split Brain Experiments)

- Split-Brain Theory
- Conducted a study for epilepsy
- Explained that the brain has two hemispheres that perform task differently
from each other. Right hemisphere of the brain was performing tasks that
were intuitive, creative, and synthesizing while the left hemisphere of the
brain was more adept with analytical, logical, reasoning, and critical thinking.

Dr. Paul MacLean

- Neuroscientist
- The Triune Brain Theory
- Identified three distinct parts of the brain: neocortex, limbic system, and
reptilian complex.
- Neocortex or rational brain – responsible for intellectual tasks such as
language, planning, abstraction, and perception.
- Limbic system or the intermediate brain – responsible for the motivation
and emotion involved in feeding, reproductive behavior, and parental
behavior.
- Reptilian complex or the primitive brain – controls the self-preservation
and aggressive behavior of human to the survival instincts of animals.

Dr. Ned Hermann

- Father of Brain Dominance Technology
- Engineer at General Electric, studied the brain and its multiple functions.
- Tasked to determine why some individuals were more creative than others.
- Brain Dominance Theory
- He extended this dominance theory to the brain, which concluded to having
not just two parts but four or the Hermann’s Four Dominant Quadrants.
 Whole Brain Model

Cerebral Mode
Thinking Processes

A D
Upper left Upper Right
Logical Holistic
Analytical Intuitive
Fact-based integrating
Right Mode
Left Mode Quantitative Synthesizing Thinking
Thinking Processes Processes

Interpersonal
Organized
Feeling-Based
Sequential
Kinesthetic
B Planned C
Emotional
Lower Left Detailed Lower Right

Limbic Mode
Thinking Processes

Hermann Labeled the four quadrants of the brain as:

1. Upper Left (A) Cerebral Mode – ANALYTICAL
2. Lower Left (B) Limbic Mode – ORGANIZED
3. Lower Right ( C ) Limbic Mode – INTERPERSONAL
4. Upper Right (D) Cerebral Mode – INTEGRATING

Mind Mapping
- Is a technique or tool that organizes and puts into contextual relationships
various information, concepts, and ideas. Organizing information and
concepts through the use of maps or diagrams.
- Tony Buzan, British psychology author and consultant, developed the
technique in creating such map, popularized the use of the phrase “mind
map.”
- Useful for visual tools that helps linking together concepts and information.
 - Useful during brainstorming sessions, making decisions, organizing
information, simplifying complex ideas, note-taking, and even for personal
use.
- See examples at the website Mindmapping.com

Topic 2: Mental Health and Well-Being in Middle and late

Adolescence
According to the US National Institute of Health, “mental health includes our
emotional, psychological, and social being. It affects how we think, feel, and act as we
cope with life. It also help to determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and
make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and
adolescence through adulthood. (Mental Health, n.d.)

The World Health Organization (WHO) Enumerated the following six factors or
aspects

1. Subjective Well-being
This may be defined as one’s personal (subjective) thoughts and feelings
about one’s overall state of being. Mental health denotes positive and healthy
interpretations of a person’s self- concept, and how a person feels about himself.
Good mental health is tied to the individual’s self-concept and emotions about
himself. A person with a healthy self-concept or self-identity exudes charm and
confidence, is usually sociable, productive, and can maintain healthy
relationships. A positive warm regard for oneself serves as a foundation of
mental health.

A negative self-concept will have a negative on one’s mental health and

well-being. For example, if a person perceives herself unattractive.

2. Perceived Self-efficacy
Self-efficacy is one’s perception of one’s value and worth, effectiveness,
and ability in performing a task or activity. Mental health and well-being is also
anchored on one’s self-worth and value or self-esteem. A person with low self-
esteem may exhibit types of behavior that are self-destructive or self-sabotaging.

3. Autonomy
It deals with one’s capacity to separate one’s identity from other significant
persons like parents, lovers, and special friends. Autonomy is the capacity for
self-direction and having a clearly defined role identity. On the other hand, lack of
autonomy can lead to co-dependence among those who cannot define
themselves as separate entities from people they depend on either emotionally,
physically, socially, spiritually, or even financially.

4. Competence
 Competence is related to self-esteem and self-identity. It is the perception
of one’s capacity to perform effectively a function or activity using specific skills
and knowledge, and achieving the desired results at a given time. Responsibility
is a major underlying factor of competence.

5. Intergenerational Dependence
It refers to relationships between individuals who belong to different
generations providing for each other’s many needs, such as financial assistance,
nursing care, and emotional support or the extended families.

6. Self-actualization of One’s intellectual and Emotional Potential

According to Maslow’s pyramid of human hierarchy of needs places self-
actualization at the peak. Wherein is about fulfilling one’s perceived potentials,
becoming the person that one has always aspired for. However, fulfilling self-
actualization is not the end – all of self – development. Individuals who are self-
actualizing nurture good mental health and well – being.

Another example of good mental health and well-being developed in 1991 by Witmer
and Sweeney (http://wellness-research.org/wellness/docs/wheel.html)
1. Essence or spirituality – know and celebrate the core of your person
2. Work and leisure – find meaning in what you do and enjoy it
3. Friendship – we grow and develop based on our relationships
4. Love – glow in the warmth of loving yourself and others
5. Self-direction – be guided by your values and principles

12 subtasks as major components of wellness or well-being that comprise the Wheel of

Wellness first introduced by Witmer and Sweeney in 1991 (Myers, 2001) and later
modified by Myers, Sweeney, and Witmer (2000):
1. Sense of worth
2. Sense of control
3. Realistic beliefs
4. Emotional awareness and coping
5. Problem solving and creativity
6. Sense of humor
7. Nutrition
8. Physical exercise
9. Self-care
10. Stress management
11. Gender identity
12. Cultural identity (Note: this may or may not apply to every Filipino, but we do
have cultural and regional differences that need to be understood and
accepted.)

Support for Mental Health and Well-Being

 5 popular steps to improve mental health and well-being (National Health Service
of the United Kingdom)
1. Connect
2. Be Active
3. Keep Learning
4. Give to Others
5. Take Notice
Topic 3: Emotional Intelligence
What is Emotional Intelligence?
According to Daniel Goleman, emotional intelligence is the ability to motivate
oneself and persist in the face of frustrations, to control impulse and delay gratification,
to regulate one’s moods and keep distress from swamping the ability to think, to
emphasize, and to hope. (Goleman, 1995)

5 Domains of Emotional Intelligence

1. Knowing one’s emotions or self – awareness. Brings with it the skill for
self-reflection.
2. Managing emotions. How you control your own emotion?

3. Motivating oneself. Hope is a major indicator of emotional intelligence

according to research. Hope is the element present when one is fighting
some overwhelming anxiety, a defeatist attitude, or depression. Goleman
points out that optimism is a great motivation, and like hope, it provides a
person with expectations that things will turn out better or right, when faced
with adversity.

4. Recognizing emotions in others.

Empathy- the capacity to recognize the emotions in other people. It is
important in maintaining relationships as this also taps on the caring capacity
of people. According to Goleman, the root cause of our capacity to empathize
is self-awareness.

5. Handling relationships. Emotional intelligence is also evident in the way we

manage our relationships with others.

4 Components of Social Intelligence or Interpersonal Intelligence (Thomas

Hatch)
1. Organizing group – a leadership skill essential in mustering groups of
people towards a common action.
2. Negotiating solutions – this talent to bring people in conflict to talk and
come up with a solution is usually found among mediators of disputes.
3. Personal connection – this is the talent where empathy and connecting
with another person’s emotion are manifested. Teachers usually have the
tendency to relate to others.
 4. Social analysis – is the talent to step out of a situation and objectively form
insights about the way people feel and behave. Therapists are gifted with
this talent.

Variances of Emotions
Emotions were defined as a descriptive term referring to variations in level of
arousal, affective state or mood, expressive movements, and attitudes. (Sanchez, Abad,
& Jao, 2012)

8 Main Families of Emotions and Their Corresponding Members:

1. Anger: fury, outrage, resentment, wrath, exasperation, indignation, vexation,
acrimony, animosity, annoyance, irritability, hostility; and to its extremes,
hatred and violence
2. Sadness: grief, sorrow, cheerlessness, gloom, melancholy, self-pity,
loneliness, dejection, despair; and in extreme, depression.
3. Fear: anxiety, apprehension, nervousness, concern, consternation, misgiving,
wariness, qualm, edginess, dread, fright, terror; in extreme, phobia and panic
4. Enjoyment: happiness, joy, relief, contentment, bliss, delight, amusement,
pride, sensual pleasure, thrill, rapture, gratification, satisfaction, euphoria,
whimsy, ecstasy; and to its extreme, mania.
5. Love: acceptance, friendliness, trust, kindness, affinity, devotion, adoration,
infatuation, and gape.
6. Surprise: shock, astonishment, amazement, and wonder.
7. Disgust: contempt, disdain, scorn, abhorrence, aversion, distaste, and
revulsion
8. Shame: guilt, embarrassment, chagrin, remorse, humiliation, regret,
mortification, and contrition.

Goleman pointed out in his book the other possible variances of emotions when
one emotion combines with another, like jealousy with sadness and fear.

Benefits of Emotional Intelligence (EI) or Emotional Quotient (EQ)

EI or EQ is more important in achieving success in one’s career or personal life
than IQ. While a high IQ is not a surefire element to one’s success, EQ has been
identified as the foundation in developing important skills necessary for one’s success at
work.

Emotional Intelligence is important as it directly affects:

1. Physical and Mental health – EI equips one with tools in managing stress;
and stress, which usually brings discomfort and illness, can be avoided. For
 mental health, EI works well when dealing with frustrations and challenges,
providing the individual with plenty of healthy coping mechanism.

2. Work performance - either in school if you are still a student, or at work, if

you are already employed. EI helps in understanding people and situations
more objectively and with more understanding and compassion. Emotions
that are managed well relieve one from stressful situations and
misunderstanding with others.

3. Relationships – interpersonal relationships are enhanced because emotions

are expressed in a more positive way, and with empathy, genuine caring is
expressed and shared. EI also build trust so that conflicts are better managed
(http://www.helpguide.org).

Developing Emotional Intelligence

In developing one’s emotional intelligence, one must first aware of the
neurological genesis of emotions, which emanates from the interplay between the
different parts of the brain particularly, the thalamus, amygdala, and frontal neocortex.

How to develop one’s emotional intelligence?

- To develop one’s emotional intelligence means to be honest and open to
one’s self, accepting one’s capacity for different types of emotions, knowing
how to handle emotions positively, and being empathic and sensitive to other
people’s emotions.

5 Domains in developing EI
Domain 1: knowing one’s emotion and being aware of oneself
Domain 2: Managing one’s emotion
Domain 3: Motivating oneself
Domain 4: Recognizing emotions in others
Domain 5: Handling Relationships

Topic 4: Personal Relationship

What is personal relationship?