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Psychology 409b, Generation 19

September 30, 2003

Presenter: Michelle Sagucio

e-mail: mchelle_87@yahoo.com

 

 

Chapter 3: Developmental analysis of control beliefs

By: August Flammer

 

I. 3 purposes for the developmental analysis of control beliefs (p. 69)

A.    to find out how control beliefs function (genetic approach)

B.    to be able to understand strange behavior

C.    knowing normal paths would help with promoting further development

 

II. Control beliefs

A.    terms (p. 69)

1.     controlling: “the actual regulation of a process”

2.     control: “the potential to control or to regulate a process if necessary”

3.     control belief: “the subjective representation of one’s capabilities to exercise control”

B.    importance (p. 69)

1.     prerequisites for planning, initiating, and regulating goal-oriented actions

2.     as part of the self-concept

C.    composition (p. 69)

1.     contingency beliefs: “beliefs of the probability with which a certain action will lead to a certain outcome”

2.     competence beliefs: “the ability to produce these actions oneself”

D.    development in 3 different dimensions (p. 70)

1.     ontogenetic development of the structure of control beliefs; long-term, structural development

2.     ontogenetic development of the individual differences in the strength of control beliefs; long-term, quantitative development

3.     microgenesis of a given control belief; actual or short-term emergence of a specific control belief

 

III. Ontogenetic development of the control belief structure

A.    not present at birth; gradually constructed during lifetime (p. 70)

B.    precognitive prerequisites of control beliefs (p. 71)

1.                           that effects happen at all (most basic)

2.                           effects produce prebehaviorally by living systems at a purely physical or biochemical level

3.                           physical and chemical effects produced by behavior that is conceived of as mere reflexes and instincts

C. levels (pp. 73-82)

 

Level 1:

Functional experience: the event schema

- connected with one’s own activities

- learning takes place through habituation, classical conditioning, instrumental conditioning

- behavior-event contingency, interval between action and its effects should be under 6 seconds

Level 2:

Elementary action towards an effect: The causal schema

- located in the secondary circulating reactions

- initiation of the production of an effect

- cognitive schema that is gradually constructed

 

• 2+: playing with causal schema

- create variations in the effect(s) or to produce a specific new effect

Level 3:

Doing by oneself: attribution of internal causes

- distinction of “me” and “others” as causal agents

Level 4:

Success and failure, a personal achievement

- “a success is a personal achievement that matches a personal standard”

- pride or shame as indicators of success and failure, respectively

Level 5:

Distinguishing different causes:

The control belief

- attributions for past outcomes (ability, effort, task difficulty, luck)

 

• 5a: the global ability concept

- concept of ability = ability, effort, visible outcome, objective feedback, social feedback

 

• 5b: the effort concept

- effort (intensity and length of work or training) as the cause of success or failure

- cannot distinguish effort from ability and task difficulty

 

• 5c: the concepts of ability and task difficulty

- begin to consider personal limits independent of effort

 

• 5d: the concept of compensation of effort and ability

- structure of functional control belief achieved, but not necessarily in all domains of life

- not much attention to concept of luck

Level 6: self-esteem

- explicit belief in personal agency to produce (nontrivial, valued) effects

Level 7: contemplating and prioritizing values

- possess more control they can be exerted

Level 8: confrontation with decrease in control

- gradual shift from primary (to change environment to fit goals) to secondary control (change aspirations to fit environment)

 

IV. Developmental conditions and strengths of control beliefs

A.    strength of control and of control beliefs over the lifespan (p. 83)

1.   physical conditions, psychological competencies, social skills enable control in more domains

2.   compare personal strength of control with that of similar people

B.    overestimation of control beliefs (p. 85)

1.   “persons with high social power and responsibility have a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases if they are not able to cope adequately with their challenges”

2.   “overestimating one’s own share of control seems to be healthier than realistically estimating one’s own control”

C.    in children

1.    young ones grossly overestimate their capacities

            a.   confuse desires and expectations

            b.   only beginning to consider the effect of effort

            c.   rely heavily on social feedback

2.    underestimate tasks and become more realistic in middle elementary school years

D.     in adolescents, adults, and older adults

1.    those directly affected by changes have higher control beliefs

2.      most aging adults adapt their control beliefs to their objective reality

3.      self-serving optimism (p. 90)

4.      control illusions (p. 90)

 

V. Developmental conditions for variations in control beliefs (pp. 90-94)

A.    educational practice

1.   warm, sensitive, supporting, responsive behavior à positive attitude and behavior

2.   especially true for achievement motives and social attachment

B.    infancy and preschool age

1.   interactive contingent responsiveness by caregivers à high control beliefs

2.   overly controlling behavior and hostility from parents à produce more belief in external control

C.    school age

1.   repeated failure in controlling outcomes à helplessness

2.   some factors affecting students’ beliefs in their academic efficacy

            a.   modeling

            b.   attribution feedback

            c.   positive incentives for accomplishments

            d.   social comparisons with peer accomplishments

3.   schooling decreases overestimation of control beliefs, can raise low control beliefs; fosters accurate self-evaluation

D.    personality factors (some possible factors)

1.   physical appearance

2.   intelligence

3.   temperament

E.    ecological and cultural factors

1.   relationship between school climate and self-efficacy beliefs

2.   little is known about cultural differences

 

VI. Microgenesis of control belief

A.    “When people are confronted with a concrete difficult task, why do they come to believe that they are able or not able to solve it?

1.     past experiences can lead to faulty self-assessment because of its organization in memory

2.     different mood states

 

 


 

 

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