2130, M, N, Personality

“Know Thyself”

Professor Ian McGregorGoals, Well-Being, & the Happiness of Pursuit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfmYCM4CS8o

Last and Next Quiz

Quiz 2 common mistakes: Timbits cause smiling; marriage and sensing

Drop date is: March 8, the day after next quiz Quiz 3 Written Answer Questions: Why might people turn to angry ideological

extremes when faced with everyday goal conflicts?

How are goal processes related to well-being?

Review from Last Week: Environment ‘E’ of Aggression

Situational PrimingOf aggressive responsesOf aggressive goals? (next

week) Frustration to Aggression

Motivated belief about the target of aggression (deserve it)

Motivated belief about need for aggression (teach lesson)

Why does aggression feel good after frustration?

Goal Regulation

Approach

Uh-Oh! Oh No! Approach /Avoid

Anxious vigilance

Scans for viable alternatives

Resume eager absorption in

approach

Eager Displacement Goals

Eager Displacement Ideals?

Ideals, Meanings, Values, Worldviews, Self-Guides

Ideals, Meanings, Values, Worldviews, Self-Guides

Ideals As Abstract Goals(Carver & Scheier; Powers; Higgins; Vallacher & Wegner)

Concrete Goals

Automatic Goal Priming with Friendlyvs. Achievement Theme Puzzles

A T T A I N J E C P

C D W U L G S Q O P

H M E S R J F D M L

I S L E Q T C A P A

E B E W C X L J E N

V N S Q R C Q E T T

E V I R T S U B E N

X A D W R E T S A M

L O I T S T A P L E

G N I D L I U B F K

S U P P O R T E D D

L A D T W A Y I R E

O J E N E F B N D K

V E T A L F U C G I

E L P L P E I L N L

D T E P A C L U I G

S R C M T T D D R R

Y U C A S I I E A E

D T A L P O N D C E

E V B Z G N G Q F N

Achieve, Building, Turtle, Compete, Win, Green, Succeed, Staple, Plant, Strive, Attain, Lamp, Master

Accepted, Building, Turtle, Affection, Caring, Green, Included, Staple, Plant, Liked, Loved, Lamp, Supported

Automatic (i.e., Unconscious) Goals

Automaticity of everyday life (Bargh) schemas and goal priming

Early priming studies Shock a learner, rude in conversation, prof. performance

Goal Activation and Persistence Lewin’s students: Zeigarnik and Ovsiankina effects over time Cooperation vs. achievement primes and playing to win Cheating on 2-minute scrabble task Goal resumption after blown bulb (instead of reviewing jokes)

Mystery moods Goal Shielding Automatic Inhibition of Fulfilled Goals (see next slide)

Watch for aggression word (reward for noting when it appears) Lexical Decision Tas

Relevance for Stage Theories

Automatic Inhibition of Stimuli Related to Fulfilled Goals

(from Forster, Liberman, & Higgins, 2005)

Speed of "lexical

decisions"

Before During After

Goal Activation (the goal was to watch for the actual word,

"aggression")

Aggressive WordsNeutral Words

This is the most important finding. After the goal is completed, stimuli related to the completed goal are inhibited (i.e., slow to be recognized).

Slow

Fast

Goal

Shielding

Where From? Where to Now? History of western selves, promotion-focused and

idealistic “passion of the Western Mind”—purpose, growth, and meaning.

Psychoanalysis Repression by excessively intense reaction formations

Unconscious to automatic goals From motives to traits, approach-avoidance goals Goals as the scientific foundation for understanding

human personality and behaviour 6 happy goals; 7 neo-analytic; 8 self & attachment; 9

threat defense; 10 religion, politics, culture

Goals & Well-Being: Basic Processes Review

Impeded goals and goal conflict—inhibition and vigilant anxiety of avoidance system

Approach—mental narrowing and absorption and tenacity

Goal shielding Automatic goals and mystery moods Reward from approaching ideological and angry

extremes Displacement behaviors…another mechanism for

Freudian “displacement” other than catharsis?

Discrepancy Reduction and WB

Goal Compared to Comparator Discrepancy generates Output Effect of Output modifies Comparator Repeat cycle for discrepancy reduction Process of discrepancy reduction is the

key to WB From Intensification to Disengagement

Ego Depletion and “Displacement”

Suppression (White Bears etc)Sadness and HumourCompleting boring taskNot eating cookies

Loss of Persistence and Self ControlGiving up, sexy pictures, binge eating, hostility

Another Explanation for Displacement Lack of self-control and failureunhappiness

Pers. & WB Avoidance/Approach Factors Avoidance

Neuroticism, Uncertainty Aversion, Rumination, Behavioural Inhibition (BIS), Prevention Focus

ApproachExtraversion, Conscientiousness, Self-Control,

Openness Behavioural Activation (BAS), Promotion Focus, Self-Esteem, Narcissism, hypomania

Approaching Personal Project Efficacy and Happiness

Efficacy: outcome success, determination, competence

Happiness: More positive feelings and less Stress and Depression

Behavioural ActivationSmall WinsMotivational Speakers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cpc-t-Uwv1I&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo%2Egoogle%2Eca%2Fvideosearch%3Fq%3Danthony%2Brobbins%26www%5Fgoogle%5Fdomain%3Dwww%2Egoogle%2Eca%26hl%3Den%26emb%3D0&feature=player_embedded

Approaching Personal Project Integrity and Meaning

Integrity: Conviction, Value-Congruence, Self-Identity, Ideals, Intrinsic Growth

Meaning: Purpose in LifeParenthood ParadoxFlow as Integrated EfficacyMeaning and Void (Eric Klinger)

Beyond disillusion and habituation of attainment Relatedness (and also Competence; Autonomy) Transcendent (beyond temporal world) ideals/ values

Abstract Ideals as Goals (Carver; Powers; cf.,Vallacher & Wegner)

System Concepts

Principles

Programs

Concrete Goals,Behavioral Acts

True to Traits and Happiness(McGregor, McAdams, & Little, 2006, Journal of Research in Personality)

0

1

Happiness

Low E,A High E,A

Big-5 Trait Scores

Highly Social ProjectsLess Social Projects

High BAS, High BIS, and Vulnerability to Hassles (Gable, Reis, & Elliot, 2000, Journal of Research in Psychology)

0

1

Happiness

High BAS High BIS

TRAIT

Low HasslesHigh Hassles

Goals in Stage Theories of Personal Development

If early goals are not attained, people become “fixated” on them…or develop a “complex,” which can cause conflict, neuroses, and delayed development.

“Mystery moods” Recall: Accessibility of Active vs. Fulfilled Goals

Maslow

Maslow

Rogers: NeurosisPsychosis Conditional positive regard

Conditional self-regard

Incongruity: real vs. ideal self (cf. Horney’s “Splitting”)

Defensive denial and distortion (e.g., repression)

Vicious cycle of incongruitypsychosis

Rogers (and later, Horney): Be Real