Understanding the Self

GE 9

CHAPTER III
MANAGING AND CARING FOR THE SELF

LESSON I: LEARNING TO BE A BETTER LEARNER

Lesson Objectives:

1. Explain how learning occurs,

2. Enumerate various metacognition and studying techniques, and
3. Identify the metacognitive techniques that you find most appropriate for yourself.

FIVE POINS OF THE LEARNING PROCESS (Lawrence Hall of Science/ UC Berkeley NSF-WIDER CRANT)
1. Learning is active
2. It builds on prior knowledge
3. It occurs in a complex social environment
4. It is situated in an authentic context
5. It requires learners’ motivation and cognitive engagement

METACOGNITION
 Commonly defined as “thinking about thinking”
 It is the awareness of the scope and limitations of your current knowledge and skills
 Enables the person to adapt their existing knowledge and skills to approach a learning task, seeking for optimum result of the
learning experience.
 Includes keeping one’s emotions and motivations while learning in check
 Its goal is for the student to be self-regulated learner

A. ASPECTS OF METACOGNITION
1. Self-appraisal is your personal reflection on your knowledge and capabilities
2. Self-management is the mental process you employ using what you have in planning and adapting to successfully learn
or accomplish a certain task

B. ELEMENTS OF METACOGNITION
1. Metacognitive knowledge
 What you know about how you think
a. Declarative Knowledge – the knowledge that refers to the factual information that one knows, and can both
be spoken or written
b. Procedural Knowledge – the knowledge or information on how to do something or how to perform the
procedural steps that make up a task
c. Conditional Knowledge – the knowledge about when to use a procedure, skill or strategy or when not to,
information as to why a procedure works and under what conditions it works, in addition to why one
procedure is better than another.

2. Metacognition regulation
 How you adjust your thinking processes to help you learn better
a. Planning – planning, goal setting and allocating resources prior to learning
b. Information Management Strategies – skills and strategy sequences use to process information more
efficiently
c. Comprehension Monitoring – assessment of one’s learning or strategy use
d. Debugging Strategies – strategies to correct comprehension and performance errors
e. Evaluation – analysis of performance and strategy effectiveness after a learning episode

 Uses several variables which affect how one know or assess himself/herself as a thinker
a. Personal variable – evaluation of strengths and weaknesses in learning
b. Task variable – what you know or what you think about the nature of the task, as well as what strategies the
task requires.
c. Strategy variable – refers to what strategies or skills you already have in dealing with certain tasks.

ACCURATE SELF-ASSESSMENT
 Necessary to make self-management ad self-appraisal work
 You must be honest about your knowledge and capability to find ways to utilize your strength and improve your weaknesses

SKILLS TO HELP YOU EXERCISE METACOGNITION

1. Knowing your limits. The scope and limitations of your resources so that you can work with what you have at the moment
and look for ways to cope with other necessities. --
2. Modifying your approach. The recognition that your strategy is not appropriate with the task, to modify your strategy in
comprehending your material
 Understanding the Self
GE 9

3. Skimming. Browsing over a material and keeping an eye on keywords, phrases or sentences
4. Rehearsing. It’s not just about repeatedly talking, writing and or doing what you have learned, but also trying to make a
personal interpretation or summary of the learning experience.
5. Self-Test. Trying to test your comprehension of your learning experience or the skills you have acquired during learning

After the experience, you should ask yourself questions like:

 What strategies did I use?
 How successful were my learning strategies?
 How can I further improve my learning skills?

Other strategies you need to develop includes:

 Asking questions about your methods
 Self-reflection
 Finding a mentor or support group
 Thinking out loud
 Welcoming errors as learning experiences

TYPES OF METACOGNITIVE LEARNERS

1. Tacit Learners
Unaware of their metacognitive process although they know the extent of their knowledge
2. Aware Learners
Know some of their metacognitive strategies but they do not plan on how to use these techniques
3. Strategic Learners
Strategize and plan their course of action toward learning experience
4. Reflective Learners
Reflect on their thinking while using strategies and adapt metacognitive skills depending on their situation

GOALS OF METACOGNITION
• For the students to be self-regulated learner
• Compensation and development of cognitive limitations of the learner
• Allows people to take charge of their own (Hacker, 2009)

STUDY TIPS
1. Make an outline of what you already know, what you want to know and what you have learned
2. Break the task into smaller details
3. Organize your schedule and materials in learning
4. Let ideas flow but do not overdo it, allowing the development of thoughts. Have an incubation period
5. Explore your study habits. Know when you are motivated to do a certain task. Some people tend to be motivated when the
deadline is near, energize your brain.
6. Do something about what you have learned.

---------------------------------------------------- End of Lesson 1-----------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER III
MANAGING AND CARING FOR THE SELF

LESSON II: DO NOT JUST DREAM, MAKE IT HAPPEN

Lesson Objectives:

1. Use Bandura’s self-efficacy theory for self-assessment

2. Differentiate growth and fixed mindset by Dweck
3. Design personal goals adapting Locke’s goal setting theory
 Understanding the Self
GE 9

“By taking the time to stop and appreciate who you are and what you have achieved – and perhaps learned through a few mistakes,
stumbles and losses – you actually can enhance everything about you. Self-acknowledgement and appreciation are what give you the
insights and awareness to move forward toward higher goals and accomplishments” (Brown, 2016)

ALBERT BANDURA’s SELF-EFFICACY

• Introduced the concept of self-efficacy
• Born in Mundare, Alberta (1925)
• Graduated at University of Columbia with Bolocan Award in Psychology in 1949
• Master’s Degree at Iowa in 1951
• PhD in Clinical Psychology in 1952
• Works at Stanford University
• Named the most influential psychologist of all time
• His theories gave major contribution to the field of psychology, psychotherapy and education
• Elected president of the American Psychological Association (APA) IN 1974

THE BOBO DOLL EXPERIMENT

This was a study conducted by Dr. Bandura in 1950’s. In this experiment, the sample children were presented with new social models
of violent and non-violent behavior toward an inflatable redounding Bobo doll. The results were:
- The group of children who saw the violent behavior model became violent to the doll
- The group of children who was presented with non-violent behavior was rarely violent to the doll.
The experiment has proven that social learning modeling is a very effective way of learning. Dr. Bandura introduced the social learning
theory that focuses on what people learn from observing and interacting with other people.
Social Cognitive Theory – states that people are active participants in their environment and are not simply shaped by that
environment.

SUMMARY of SELF EFFICACY THEORY

Weibell (2011) summarized Albert Bandura’s self-efficacy theory:
• “Self-Efficacy theory is based on the assumption that psychological procedures serve as a means of creating and strengthening
expectations of personal efficacy.”
• It distinguishes between expectations of efficacy and response-outcome expectancies (Weibell, 2011)
Outcome expectancy – “a person’s estimate that a given behavior will lead to certain outcomes”
Efficacy Expectation – “conviction that one can successfully execute the behavior required to produce the outcomes
• Self-efficacy typically comes into play when there is an actual perceived threat to one’s personal safety, or one’s ability to deal
with potentially aversive events.
• Increasing a person’s self-efficacy increases their ability to deal with a potentially aversive situation.

Weibell (2011) stated that Dr. Bandura defined self-efficacy as “people’s beliefs about their capabilities to produce designated levels
of performance that exercise influence over events that affect their lives.” He identified acts of peole with high assurance in their
capabilities such as:
1. Approach difficult tasks as challenges to be mastered
2. Set challenging goals and maintain strong commitment to them
3. Heighten or sustains efforts in the face of failures or setbacks
4. Attribute failure to insufficient effort or deficient knowledge and skills which are acquirable
5. Approach threatening situations with assurance that they can exercise control over them.

In contrast, people who doubt their capabilities:

1. Shy away from tasks they view as personal threats
2. Have low aspirations and weak commitment to goals they choose to pursue
3. Dwell on personal deficiencies, obstacles they will encounter, and all kinds of adverse outcomes, rather than concentrating on
how to perform successfully
4. Slacken their efforts and give up quickly in the face of difficulties
5. Are slow to recover their sense of efficacy following failures or setbacks
6. Fall easy victim to stress and depression
Dr. Bandura described four main sources of influence by which a person’s self-efficacy is developed and maintained. These are:
1. Performance accomplishments or mastery experiences
2. Vicarious experiences
3. Verbal or social persuasion
4. Physiological (somatic and emotional) states

• “Mastery experiences” or “personal performance accomplishments” are the most effective ways to create a strong sense of
efficacy
• Vicarious experiences through observance of social models also influence one’s perception of self-efficacy
• The most important factor that determines the strength of influence of an observed success or failure on one’s own self-
efficacy is the degree of similarity between the observer and the model.
• Verbal and social persuasion also affects one’s perception of self-efficacy. It is a way of strengthening people’s beliefs that
they have what it takes to succeed
• People also rely on their somatic or emotional states when judging their capabilities. Stress and tension are interpreted as signs
of vulnerability to poor performance.

Dr. Albert Bandura’s quotes about self-efficacy (Kendra 2017) are as follows
• “Self-efficacy is the belief in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the sources of action required to manage prospective
situations” (Social Foundations of Thought and Action: A social Cognitive Theory, 1986)
 Understanding the Self
GE 9

• “If efficacy beliefs always reflected only what people can do routinely, they would rarely fail but they would not set
aspirations beyond their immediate reach nor mount the extra effort needed to surpass their ordinary performances.”
Encyclopedia of Human Behavior, 1994)
• “Self-Belief does not necessarily ensure success, but self-disbelief assuredly spawns failure.” (Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of
Control, 1997)
• “By sticking it out through tough times, people emerge from adversity with a stronger sense of efficacy.” (Encyclopedia of
Human Behavior, 1994)
• “People’s beliefs about their abilities have a profound effect on those abilities. Ability is not a fixed property; there is a huge
variability in how you perform. People who have a sense of self-efficacy bounce back from failure; they approach things in
terms of how to handle them rather than worrying about what can go wrong.” (Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control)

CAROL S. DWECK’s FIXED AND GROWTH MINDSET THEORY

• Author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
• Born on October 17. 1946
• Leading researcher in the field of motivation and
• Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of psychology at Stanford University

FIXED AND GROWTH MINDSET

• Described people with two types of mindset
Fixed mindset
- people with fixed theory of intelligence. Those who believe that success is based on their innate abilities
Growth mindset
- people who have growth theory of intelligence. Those who believe that success is based on hardwork, learning,
training and perseverance.
• According to Dweck, individuals may not necessarily be aware of their own mindset, but it can still be discerned based on their
behavior. It is especially evident in their reaction to failure.
• For fixed-mindset individuals dread failure because it is a negative statement on their abilities while growth-mindset
individuals do not mind or fear failure as much because they realize their performance can be improved and learning comes
from failure.
• He argues that growth mindset will allow a person to live a less stressful and more successful life

EDWIN A. LOCKE’s GOAL SETTING THEORY

• First studied by Dr. Locke in the middle of 1960’s
• He first described that the approach of goal setting theory is based on what Aristotle called final causality which means action
caused by a purpose.
• Dr. Locke discussed goal attributes and the 14 research findings of the goal setting theory.

GOAL ATTRIBUTES
- Have both an:
1. internal (ideas – desired ends)
2. external (the object or condition sought – job, sale, certain performance level)
- Two broad attributes of goals are
1. content (the actual object sought)
2. intensity (the scope, focus and complexity, among others of the choice process)

14 RESEARCH FINDINGS ABOUT GOAL SETTING THEORY

1. The more difficult the goal, the greater the achievement.
2. The more specific or explicit the goal, the more precisely performance is regulated.
3. Goals that are both specific and difficult lead to the highest performance
4. Commitment to goals is most critical when goals are specific and difficult
5. High commitment to goals is attained when:
a. The individual is convinced that the goal is important;
b. The individual is convinced that the goal is attainable
6. In addition to having a direct effect on performance, self-efficacy influences:
a. The difficulty level of the goal chosen or accepted
b. Commitment to goals
c. The response to negative feedback or failure
d. The choice of task strategies
7. Goal setting is most effective when there is feedback that shows progress in relation to the goal
8. Goal setting mediates the effect of knowledge of past performance on subsequent performance
9. Goals affect performance by affecting the direction of action, the degree of effort exerted, and the persistence of action over
time
10. Goals stimulate planning in general
11. When people strive for goals on complex tasks, they are least effective in discovering suitable task strategies if:
a. They have no prior experience or training on the task;
b. There is high pressure to perform well; and
c. There is high time pressure
12. Goals, in combination with self-efficacy, mediate or partially mediate the effects of several personality traits and incentives on
performance
13. Goals and goal-related mechanisms can be trained and/or adopted in the absence of training for the purpose of self-regulation
14. Goals serve as standards of self-satisfaction, with harder goals demanding higher accomplishment in order to attain self-
satisfaction than easy goals.
 Understanding the Self
GE 9

---------------------------------------------------- End of Lesson 1-----------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER III
MANAGING AND CARING FOR THE SELF

LESSON III: LESS STRESS, MORE CARE

Lesson Objectives:

1. Explain the effects of stress to one’s health

2. Examine cultural dimensions of stress and coping
3. Design a self-care plan

Stress is often described as a feeling of being overwhelmed, worried, or run-down. It can affect people of all ages, genders and
circumstances and can lead both to physical and psychological health issues. By definition, it is any uncomfortable emotional
experience accompanied by predictable biochemical, physiological, and behavioral changes. (American Psychological
Association, 2017)

STRESS and HUMAN RESPONSE (American Institute of Stress - AIS)

What is Stress?
According to Hans Selye, it is the body’s nonspecific response to any demand, whether it is caused by or results in pleasant or
unpleasant stimuli.
1. Distress – type of stress which has a negative connotation, unpleasant or harmful variety of stress
e.g.: divorce, punishment, injury, negative feelings, financial problems, work difficulties

2. Eustress – has positive connotation

e.g.: marriage, promotion, baby, winning, money, new fiends and graduation.

Selye hypothesized a general adaptation or stress syndrome which affects the whole body. Stress always manifests itself by a
syndrome, a sum of changes and not by simply on change (AIS, 2017)

THREE COMPONENTS OF THE GENERAL STRESS SYNDROME

1. Alarm Stage
- Represents a mobilization of the body’s defensive forces where the body is preparing for the fight or flight syndrome
- Involves, high level of hormones and chemicals, increase on heart rate, blood pressure, perspiration and respiration rate
 Understanding the Self
GE 9

2. Stage of Resistance
- Body becomes adaptive to the challenge and even begins to resist it

3. Exhaustion Stage
- The body dies because it has used up its resources of adaptation energy.

STRESS DISEASES
 Maladies caused principally by errors in the body’s general adaptation process but will not occur if the body’s regulatory
processes are properly checked and balanced and will not develop when adaptation is facilitated by improved perception and
interpretation.
 The biggest problem is an absolute excess, deficiency, or disequilibrium in the amount of adaptive hormones. If stress is
induced chronically, our defense response lowers its resistance.

(Understanding Stress Response” of the Health Journal, 2017 on chronic stress and human body response)
“Chronic stress is unpleasant, even when it is transient. A stressful situation – whether something environmental, such as looming work
deadline, or psychological such as persistent worry about losing a job – can trigger a cascade of stress hormones that produce well –
orchestrated physiological changes. A stressful incident can make the heart pound and quicken breathing. Muscles tense and beads of
sweat appear”

STRESS RESPONSE
 The combination of reactions to stress also known as the “fight or flight” response
 The sequence of hormonal changes and physiological responses helps someone to fight the threat off or flee to safety
 Unfortunately, the body can also overreact to stressors that are not life-threatening such as traffic jams, work pressure and
family difficulties.
 Over time, repeated activation of stress response takes a toll on the body.
 Research suggests that chronic stress contributes to high blood pressure, promotes the formation of artery-clogging deposits
and causes brain changes. It may also contribute to obesity
 It begins in the brain, particularly with the amygdala and hypothalamus
 For example, when someone confronts a danger, the senses send the information to the amygdala which will then interpret the
danger, sending a distress signal to the hypothalamus.
Amygdala
- An area of the brain that contributes to emotional processing
- Interprets the sensations (images, sounds, etc) sent by the senses (eyes, ears)
- Functions like a command center, communicating with the rest of the body through the nervous system so that the
person has the energy to fight or flee (Health Harvard, 2017)

Hypothalamus
- A bit like a command center, communicating with the rest of the body through the autonomic nervous system which
controls involuntary body functions like breathing, blood pressure, heartbeat and the dilation

TECHNIQUES TO COUNTER CHRONIC STRESS (Health Harvard, 2017)

1. Relaxation Response (Dr. Herbert Benson)
- Includes abdominal breathing, focusing on soothing word (peace or calm), visualizing of tranquil scenes, repetitive
prayer, yoga and tai chi.
2. Physical Activity
- Exercise to stifle the build-up of stress in several ways. Example, taking a brisk walk shortly after feeling stressed not
only deepens breathing but also helps relieve muscle tension
- Movement therapies combined with fluid movements, deep breathing and mental focus, all of which can induce calm.
3. Social Support
- Having confidants, friends, acquaintances, co-workers, relatives, spouses or companions.

THE CULTURAL DIMENSION OF STRESS AND COPING (Ben Kuo, 2010)

• A person’s internalized cultural values, beliefs and norms affect the appraisal process of stressors and the perceived
appropriateness of coping responses which delimit the coping options available to an individual in the face of stress
• Though stress and coping are universal experiences, members of different cultures might consider and respond to stressors
differently with respect to coping goals, strategies and outcomes.
- Among individuals of Asian backgrounds as well as to lesser extent among individuals of African and Latino
backgrounds, there is a prevalence of emotion focused, indirect, passive or covert, internally target or secondary
control as coping mechanisms.
- Avoidance, withdrawal and forbearance are common among Asians
- Spiritual, religious and ritual-based coping are common among African-Americans and African-Canadians
- Spiritual and religious coping and coping through support are common among individuals of Latino/ Latina
backgrounds (Kuo, 2010)
• Coping is link to
a. Broad societal climate
b. Individual’s acculturation and ethnic identity
c. Primary/ internally versus secondary/ externally controlled orientations
d. Accessibility and attitudes toward seeking social and family support
e. Degrees of religious/ spiritual beliefs and identifications
• Stress is conceived as an interaction between the demands of the environment and the resources of the self, and coping is
conceptualized as the management of these interactions between the self and environment.
 Understanding the Self
GE 9

SELF-CARE THERAPY (Nancy Apperson, 2008)

1. Stop, breathe and tell yourself: “this is hard, and I will get through this one step at a time.”
2. Acknowledge what you are feeling. All feelings are normal so accept what you are feeling.
3. Find someone who listens and is accepting. You do not need advice. You need to be heard.
4. Maintain your normal routine as much as possible. Be realistic with what you can do and remember that everything right now
will take you longer to do. Avoid making major decision based on the stress you feel right now.
5. Allow plenty of time for a task. Accept how much you are able to do right now and recognize it will not be this way forever.
6. Take good care of yourself. Remember to:
a. Get enough rest and sleep
b. Eat regularly and make healthy choices
c. Know your limits and know when you need to let go
d. Identify or create a nurturing place
e. Practice relaxation and meditation
f. Escape for a while

SELF-COMPASSION THERAPY (Kristen Neff, 2012)

• Being warm and understanding toward ourselves rather than criticizing ourselves
• Recognizing that imperfection and experiencing life difficulties is inevitable
• Acknowledging problems and shortcomings without judgement
• Benevolently accepting that we cannot always get what we want and be who we want
SELF-COMPASSION PHRASES
• This is a moment of suffering
• Suffering is part of life
• May I be kind to myself?
• May I give myself the compassion I need?

SELF-COMPASSION AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING

• Greater self-compassion (lack of self-criticism) is linked to less anxiety and depression.
• Self-compassion is not merely looking at the bright side of things but is also being kind to one’s self while recognizing
suffering. It is associated with greater wisdom and emotional intelligence. It is the positive state of being well. For example, by
wrapping one’s pain in the warm embrace of self-compassion, positive feelings are generated that help balance the negative
ones.

SELF-COMPASSION, MOTIVATION and HEALTH

Self-Compassion Self-Compassionate People
Negatively related to perfectionism but has no
Aim just as high, but also recognize and accept that they cannot always
association with the level of performance standards
reach their goals
adapted for the self

Linked to greater personal initiative – the desire to Have less motivational anxiety and engage in fewer self-handicapping
reach one’s full potential behaviors such as procrastination

Positively associated with mastery goals and negatively Motivated to achieve but for instinct reasons, not because they want to
associated with performance goals garner social approval

SELF-COMPASSION vs. SELF-ESTEEM

Self-Compassion Self-Esteem

No association with narcissism Robust association with narcissism

Less focused on evaluating themselves, feeling

An evaluation of superiority/inferiority that helps to establish social rank
superior to others, worrying about whether or not
stability and is related to alerting, energizing impulses and dopamine
others are evaluating them, defending their viewpoints,
activation
or angrily reacting to those who disagree with them.

Positions the self in competition with others and amplifies feelings of

Enhances feeling of safety and interconnectedness
distinctness and separation

SELF-COMPASSION LETTER
1. Describe a problem that tends to make you feel bad about yourself, such as physical flaw, a relationship problem and or a
failure at work or school.
2. Think of an imaginary friend who is unconditionally accepting and compassionate; someone who knows all your strengths and
weaknesses, understands your life history, your current circumstances and understands the limits of human nature.
3. Write a letter to yourself from that perspective. What would your friend say about your perceived problem? What words would
he or she use to convey deep compassion? How would your friend remind you that you are only human? If your friend were to
make any suggestions, how would they reflect unconditional understanding?
4. When you are done writing, put the letter down for a while and come back to it later. Then read the letter again, letting the
words sink in, allowing yourself to be soothed and comforted.
 Understanding the Self
GE 9

---------------------------------------------------- End of Lesson 1-----------------------------------------------------

Name: __________________________________________ Date: _______________________

RN/Section: ______________________________________ Chapter: ____ Lesson: _______

ACTIVITY NO 9
Learning to be a Better Learner / Do not Just Dream, Make it Happen / Less Stress, More Care

General Directions
 Answer the following comprehensively based from what you understood. DO NOT COPY PASTE from the lecture. Copy
paste answers will only be given 1 point.
 Be mindful of spellings.
 You can have your answer in a form of picture or screenshot just make sure that it is readable but if you can pass it in pdf
form, please do so with your name and section as file name.
 The deadline will always be at 11:59 pm of the set date. For circumstances where you can’t pass it on the given date,
please coordinate with your leaders.
 For other questions regarding the course, please coordinate with me.
 Leaders can send me the compiled answers of their members through my g-mail, elmajanemitante08@gmail.com, my
facebook account or our private facebook group.

DIRECTION: Read and answer the following questions as best and as honestly as you can. This last activity will serve as a major
activity for this course.

I. How do you think about Thinking?

1. Open and answer the file, Metacognitive Awareness Inventory.
2. What categories have the highest scores? Do you agree with the result of your MAI?
3. List your Top 5 tips/ secrets for Studying based on your personal experiences/ preferences. Does your MAI result consistent
with your own tips/ secrets for studying?
4. Your GE 7 instructor announced that she will be giving an examination covering all the lessons she gave in her course. Create
a diagram or schedule using at least 5 of the metacognitive strategies, skills and studying techniques mentioned in Chapter 3,
Lesson 1 on how you would prepare for the next 5 days before your exam.

II. 5-10-20 Self

1. Complete the tables below
Your plans to make your envisioned self into
Your envisioned self
reality

In 5 years

In 10 years

In 20 years

Fixed Mindset Growth Mindset

Description

Examples of
situations

Advantages
 Understanding the Self
GE 9

Disadvantages

2. Make a goal setting plan based on what you learned from Locke’s goal setting theory.

III. Less Stress, More Care

1. Make a self-compassionate letter following the procedures given in Lesson 3

Note: Please submit on or before 11:59 pm of June 2, Tuesday.