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GROUP 7 FMP (Draft)
GROUP 7 FMP (Draft)
EDPSYCOM DEPARTMENT
“A Study that Aims to Determine the Correlation between the Self-Determination and
the Cognitive Impulsivity with regards to the Decision Patterns of the Adolescents
in Dasmariñas, Cavite”
Ale, Cristian D.
A.Y. 2023-2024
Chapter I
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INTRODUCTION
in terms of both mental and physical aspects. Among the various psychological challenges
that they experience includes their ability to perform several high-level cognitive processes
such as problem solving, decision-making, planning and some low-level cognitive processes
including goal setting and attainment as well as self-regulation. Majority of these variables
are directly related to the state of a single psychological construct known as self-
determination. In connection with this, the aforementioned construct refers to the ability of
an individual to think and develop choices and manage the flow of their own life (Cherry
Kendra, MSEd & Susman David, PhD, 2022). Furthermore, it was also discovered that being
not being self-determined which would make a person perceive that their life is being
controlled by the people around them (Cherry Kendra, MSEd & Susman David, PhD, 2022).
Furthermore, Self-Determination Theory provides an idea which involves two (2) types of
motivation; the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation that are both crucial factors in the
E, MA & Neuhaus Maike, PhD, 2018). The intrinsic motivation comes from within which
states that there are only internal drives that inspire an individual which includes their
values, interests, and personal sense of morality. On the other hand, extrinsic motivation
focuses on the idea that external factors such as financial wealth, and physical rewards are
what makes an individual motivated (Ackerman Courtney E, MA. & Neuhaus Maike, PhD,
2018).
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would experience which would act as a determinant of the engagement and quality of
Moreover, several research studies have discovered that adolescents are also having
issues with their attention and behavior aside from their ability to make rational decisions.
Issues such as lack of attention, forethought deficiency and aggression tendencies are some
of the challenges these individuals have to deal with during their adolescence. As the age of
technology continues to develop, researchers have finally found out that majority of the
issues adolescents deal with during this stage of their personal development are related to a
this, the aforementioned variable is said to be the tendency of an individual to act without
Additionally, research also indicates that the state of cognitive impulsivity is also related to
the maturity of the prefrontal cortex in the brain. It was discovered that the prefrontal
cortex enables an individual to make rational decisions and help override impulsive urges
which could possibly result in performing an action without prior rationalization (Schwartz
Allan, LCSW, PhD., et al, 2015). In other words, the more developed the prefrontal cortex is
the low the tendency for an individual to experience the manifestations of cognitive
impulsivity.
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amount, cognitive impulsivity is not necessarily a sign of trouble and is also considered
normal especially on children and teenagers since it was found that during this period their
brains are still developing which contributes to the degree of their impulsiveness (Begum
In response to this, the researchers would conduct a study regarding the relationship
determine how these variables are related to their decision patterns. The study will be
conducted on Dasmariñas in which the researchers would select individuals who are still in
their adolescence period. There would be two (2) constructs in this research in which both
of them are considered as dependent variables. The researchers selected both self-
determination and cognitive impulsivity as their respective constructs for this study due to
the reason being that these two (2) are considered to be related to the psychological
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Adolescence is a period in which each individual has to go through and has become one
of the factors that molds the character of a person. Several challenges come forth in this
stage which helps a person develop in terms of both psychological and physiological
aspects. One of the major challenges adolescents have to deal with is attaining the state of
centers on the basic psychological needs which revolve around competency, autonomy, and
relatedness which are the three (3) main factors that determine the degree of gratitude and
motivation in an individual perspective (Deci & Ryan, 1985,2012). Furthermore, as what was
found during several studies regarding this psychological construct, the absence or lack of
having the sense of being self-determined would result in thinking an individual has no
control over their life which supports the idea regarding its significance with the mental
development of a person (Susman David, PhD & Cherry Kendra, MSEd, 2022).
Autonomy refers to the feeling an individual has regarding their own behaviors and goals.
This element helps a person become determined that they are allowed to control their own
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actions since they are capable of managing them on their own. On the other hand,
competence involves the need of an individual to gain mastery of different kinds of tasks
and learn wide range of skills. In relation with this, researchers found that when a person
feels they have the skills necessary for success, they become more likely to take initiative to
do things that would help them achieve their goals. Lastly, the need for relatedness set its
attention on the crucial role of experiencing a sense of belonging and attachment to other
themselves from adults for them to individuate. In relation to this, in order to have the
ability to properly separate themselves from adults, adolescents need to have their support
for them to successfully attain the basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and
relatedness) which would result in them having a well-developed set of characteristics that
are necessary to victoriously pass into adulthood (La Guardia Jennifer & Ryan Richard M,
2022).
and better quality of life for youth with disabilities (Lewis Sandra & Bennett Kitty Greeley,
2014). In other words, being self-determined does affect the life choices of an individual in a
positive manner and poor self-determination has a high tendency of resulting to having
In relation to this, the issues with the decision and behavior management of the
adolescents also have something to do with the degree of their tendency to experience
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Jabeen, MD, et al., 2023). In relation to this it was found that there are several reasons why
cognitive impulsivity seems to be more stable than some people compared to the others.
Research indicates that there are several factors that affect cognitive impulsivity.
Genetics, as what researchers have discovered regarding the state of impulsivity, it was
found that there is a higher tendency for an individual to experience issues with
impulsiveness if that person is included in a family that has a case of mental condition
especially those that are related to being impulsive. Biology, it was also found that there are
cases in which unusual brain or hormonal patterns might possibly increase the likelihood of
having heightened impulsiveness. In relation to this, researchers were also able to find out
that the maturity of the prefrontal cortex is also a common explanation for the degree of
impulsivity. Based on their studies, the crucial part for the development of the prefrontal
cortex is during adolescence and young adulthood which is the reason why individuals
to those people from the earlier and older spectrum. Social and environmental conditions,
researchers also discovered that these aforementioned variables could potentially affect the
risk factors of having a high cognitive impulsivity. To specify further, being consistently
exposed in an environment with constant financial issues, violence and neglect could lead to
impulsivity dysfunction. Lastly, sex is also considered to a risk factor of having issues with
impulsiveness, it was stated by some researchers that males are more likely to manifest
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decision patterns of an adolescent. However, the researchers are still unaware whether
This research aims to determine the correlation between how much an adolescent
believes they are in control of their choices and actions which relates to their attitudes when
it comes to setting their own goals and how likely they are to experience impulsivity with
regards to their decision patterns. Through the data that has been collected from the
understand the correlation between the two aforementioned variables. The research aims
of the adolescents.
the adolescents.
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The researchers centered their study on the correlation between the self-determination
and the cognitive impulsivity with regards to the decision patterns of the adolescents in
Dasmariñas, Cavite.
of the adolescents?
4. What is the connection between the level of self-determination and the decision
5. What is the connection between the level of cognitive impulsivity and the decision
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Theoretical Framework
The study examined the correlation between the self-determination and cognitive
underpinning of this study is from the Self-Determination Theory which was constructed by
psychologists Edward Deci and Richard Ryan in the year 1985. The two first introduced their
Behavior”. In relation to this, Deci and Ryan argued that individuals tend to be driven by
their need to grow and gain fulfillment in their own career (Cherry Kendra, MSEd & Susman
David, PhD, 2022). Furthermore, Self-Determination Theory proposes that all human beings
have three basic psychological needs; these are the need for competence, autonomy and
relatedness. The satisfaction of which are essential factors for sustainable development of
an individual wellbeing (Duda, J. L., & Appleton, P. R. 2016). In addition to this, the
aforementioned theory also states that there are intrinsic and extrinsic types of motivation
in which the former focuses on the drive that comes from within, it is not influenced by any
external factors while the latter is inclined to the drive that is dependent on the outside
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motivation, an individual needs to fulfill the previously mentioned variables. The need for
autonomy which involves the feeling of an individual which involves the idea that they have
own control of their choices and can willingly express themselves. The need for competence
which covers the idea of having enough capabilities to effectively execute an action. Lastly,
the need for relatedness which focuses on the significance of feeling connected with other
people. In conclusion, the aforementioned theory claims that in order to feel self-
determined there needs to be the presence of motivation which could only be attain
through the a process in which an individual has to achieve competence which would result
to having a sense of autonomy which would cause the feeling of being related to a certain
group in which they truly belong (Williams Edith M, M.S, PhD., et al, 2024).
Moreover, the assumption behind the cognitive impulsivity stems from the idea that
impulsiveness is consist of three (3) major factors; these are the attention (attention and
cognitive ability), motor (motor and perseverance) and non-planning (self-control and
complexity) (Brooks, Samantha J. & Stein, Dan J, 2017). In addition to this, it was proposed
nature (Kasey G. Creswell, et al. 2019). Furthermore, it may have similarities with rudeness
or lack of discipline, but cognitive impulsivity is more than just that. Research indicates that
it is a behavioral pattern that starts from the brain. The effects of it varies depending on the
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heightened degree of it could potentially lead to issues with overall wellbeing (Deanna &
Additionally, research found that the impulsivity could be described in several different
manner. It was stated that there are four factors involved with impulsivity; the lack of
premeditation which focuses on the tendency to act before considering the potential
consequences, sensation seeking which involves searching out new and exciting experiences
with the added element of risk, lack of perseverance which leads to higher probability of
quitting from an activity, and the urgency which is focused on the act of taking negative
actions during an emotional outburst (Rudy Lisa Jo & MacIntyre Michael, 2023).
In summary, studies provide enough evidence to prove that both self-determination and
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Conceptual Framework
The study involves two (2) dependent variables. It focuses on determining the
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The adolescents from Dasmariñas, Cavite were randomly selected using simple random
sampling method. The researchers have decided to gather thirty (30) individuals that would
serve as their research participants in which they would undergo two individual tests in an
attempt to measure both their self-determination and cognitive impulsivity and determine
the correlation between the state of these variables and the decision pattern of an
adolescent.
Adolescents will take part in the study which involves the process of measuring two
feel in control of their choices and set goals in order to develop oneself which would be
adolescents which focus their tendency to act without prior rationalization about the
potential consequences of their actions would be measured through the use of Barrat
Correlational Research Design and questionnaires would serve as our medium for data
gathering process. Due to the nature of Correlational Research Design, the researchers had
chosen two (2) independent variables which are Self-Determination and Cognitive
Impulsivity as the main focus of the study. In addition to that, the researchers would also
determine whether these two (2) constructs have anything to do with the decision patterns
of the adolescents.
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In summary, the data regarding the state of both psychological constructs on each
participant would be compared and correlated with each other in order to determine the
correlation between the Self-Determination and Cognitive Impulsivity with regards to the
The study was conducted in Dasmariñas, Cavite. The timeframe of the research covered
events from January 29, 2024, until February 8, 2024. Furthermore, the study only covered
and is limited to the Adolescents from year 2023-2024. The researchers decided to
implement the Correlational Research Design in order to accomplish the tasks required for
the research. They also executed Simple Random Sampling technique to properly select the
desired respondents. Moreover, after the process of selecting the participants, the
participant which was also recorded by the researchers themselves. In relation to this, after
the process of data gathering had been implemented successfully, the researchers
proceeded to the interpretation of the information and the discussion of the results with
respect to the correlation between the Self-Determination and Cognitive Impulsivity of the
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The study will be conducted with the purpose of determining the Correlation between
the Self-Determination and Cognitive Impulsivity with regards to the Decision Pattern of the
and beliefs that provide an individual the ability to engage in goal-oriented, self-regulated,
management, decision making, self-efficacy, and goal setting and attainment (Lewis Sandra,
Bennett Kitty Greeley, 2014). Moreover, Cognitive Impulsivity is the term used to describe
the tendency of an individual to make irrational decisions, perform impulsive actions, and
have issues with attention (Brooks, Samantha J. & Stein, Dan J, 2017). In relation to this,
both variables are proven to be significant with the decision-making process of an individual
which proves the significance of this study in terms of providing knowledge regarding the
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The major beneficiaries of the study are the various sector as follows:
Adolescents. They would benefit from the study the greatest since it was found that during
the period of adolescence the prefrontal cortex of the brain is in the most crucial process of
maturation which is why they have the highest tendency of experiencing issues related to
their degree of cognitive impulsivity (Thomas Scot, MD., et al, 2015). In relation to this,
adolescents would also gain something from this study in terms of their Self-Determination
since it was proven to be necessary for an adolescent to become self-determined which can
only by satisfying autonomy, competence and relatedness needs (Ryan & Deci). Moreover,
this research would be beneficial for adolescents since it would provide them information
developing the said psychological construct. Furthermore, this study could also help them
understand the role of cognitive impulsivity in terms of the risk factors of substance abuse
High School Students. The research would become beneficial for the students since
research studies found that impulsiveness that is manifested on the behavior can affect the
High School students in several ways. It was further specified that impulsiveness could lead
to risky behaviors and academic performance issues (Thornton Stephanie, et al, 2017). In
relation to this, the researchers concluded that the High School students would gain benefit
from this study since it would provide them better understanding of how important being
indicated that students with higher levels of self-determination had significantly better
grades (Graham Michael & Vaughan Angela, 2022). In accordance with this, the researchers
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assume that this study would provide the students information about how significant being
self-determined is when it comes to academic performance and how they could develop it
Parents. It was revealed that adolescents must remove themselves from adults in order to
develop as individuals. In relation to this, in order to have the ability to properly separate
themselves from adults, adolescents need to have their support for them to successfully
attain the basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) which would
victoriously pass into adulthood (La Guardia Jennifer & Ryan Richard M, 2022). In regard to
this, the researchers claim that this study could provide the parents with better
understanding of how their support is crucial to the development of the own identity of
their children during the adolescence period. Furthermore, research indicates that higher
levels of impulsivity in children are due to dysfunctional family (Ryan Stacy R, et al, 2015). In
relation to this, the researchers further assume that this study would be beneficial to
parents in terms of the idea of having a more defined consideration of maintaining a more
child-friendly environment in order to provide better support for the development of their
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Definition of Terms
This will provide a better understanding of the frequently mentioned terms in this study;
Autonomy. This refers to self-government and responsible control over an individual affair.
judgments. In this regard, autonomy defines how much control an individual has over their
alternatives and choices, as well as how well their wants are met.
Competence. In this study, competence refers to mastery and effectiveness in one's work. It
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presentation of evidence.
Individuate. It refers to the act of forming an own distinct entity in order to become
Relatedness. It is the term used to describe the need for belongingness of an individual.
individual to perform own actions without external coercion, and it encompasses people
choosing and defining their own objectives, participating in life decisions, self-advocating,
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Chapter II
This chapter addresses studies that are pertinent to the subject and significant ideas
that the researcher has culled from other texts that has been found to be useful in
conceptualizing the present research. These research projects and literature evaluations will
provide assistance with the comprehension of the Correlation between the Self-
Determination and Cognitive Impulsivity with regards to the Decision Patterns of the
Foreign Literature
Adolescents tend to experience various issues with their development during the
adolescence period. Developmental changes that involve both their physiological and
psychological state. Several of these challenges are related to their self-determination which
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refers to the ability of an individual to feel that they are in control of their choices which
leads them to have the initiative to set their own goals and develop themselves to become
competent enough to attain them (Cherry Kendra, MSEd & Susman David, PhD, 2022).
Moreover, in a study it was found that two key skills in self-determination is the ability to
solve problems and set goals. Educational research regarding successful adolescents
indicates that the earlier a teenager learns about the significance of self-determination-
related skills during their earlier until adolescence period (Panther Beth P. & Dr Mitchell
Vickie J, 2017). Additionally, the same study states that teenagers with poor self-
determination-related skills often find it difficult to make choices and become consistent
with their decisions. In relation to this, previous studies based on the Self-Determination
Theory have shown that the communication style of the parents is directly related to the
style being associated with more constructive responses than a controlling style (Soenens
Van Petegem, et al., 2014). In other words, the method of how parents handle their children
their style is the better its effect on their offspring while the more controlling type was
influenced by a wide range of factors. These includes physical activity and its numerous
health benefits in children and adolescents (Owen, et al, 2014). In relation to this Self-
Determination theory also a prolonged health promoting practice such as physical activity is
positively associated with autonomous types of motivation (Teixeira Pedro J, et al, 2022).
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In addition to this, researchers also indicated that aside from the challenges with the
explained that among the potential negative effects of high degree of impulsivity are
delinquency (e.g.,Ragan et al., 2022), aggression (e.g., Cao & An, 2020) and substance abuse
Furthermore, a study showed higher risk of having high degree of impulsivity among male
teens due the ongoing development of their brain. They found that in the adolescent brain,
both the frontal and prefrontal cortexes are not accessible with the same rate of speed as
the adult brain, it explains the reason why they tend to act more impulsive since the frontal
and prefrontal cortex covers important functions such as judgment and decision-making
(Camie Bianco, et al). Moreover, research regarding the connection between motor
performance, motor performance and impulsiveness has indicated that cognitive processes
are directly related to motor processes and both of them seem to affect the cognitive
optimization positively that is required throughout the developmental stages (Prat Queralt,
et al, 2019). Additionally, research also suggests that impulsiveness and risky decision-
making peaks in adolescence (due to the state of their brain) and is consistently associated
(ADHD), regardless of the age (Dekkers Tycho J, et al, 2022). In relation to this, a study
cognitive facets of impulsivity are linked to the engagement of self-harm. On the other
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hand, cognitive facts of impulsivity are all connected to the maintenance of self-harm.
Local Literature
The local culture of the Filipinos also considers the importance of studying the issues
individuals go through during the adolescence period. The researchers discovered that there
are two psychological variable that are crucial during the adolescence period and should be
impulsivity. A study from Negros Occidental, Bacolod City, Philippines indicated that social
support from their family, friends, and significant others is undoubtedly significant since it
was found that supportive environment has positive effects with the growth of an
individuals. The researchers were able to confirm that adolescents need to be motivated by
satisfying the needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness in order to avoid the
tendency of being a high school dropout (Emelyn Ramos & Magallanes Celo I., 2021).
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Furthermore, local researchers also studied the cognitive impulsivity that contributes to the
abrupt behavior and lack of consideration of the possible consequences of the adolescents
(Cassels & Wilkinson, 2016). In addition to this, it they also found that there is indeed a
correlation between the borderline personality trait scores and the scores in cognitive
impulsivity which indicates that the tendency of having borderline personality disorder is
Synthesis
The research topic is focused on the determining the correlation between self-
adolescents. The variables on their own have been studied several times already in which
researchers were able to identify their operational definition and their functions. However,
the researchers discovered that these variables have not been put together, all by
themselves, in a single study even once, made the task to find related literatures with this
The researchers found that there was a study in Gyeongsan National University in Korea
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the adolescent college students. Their study was focused on the relationship of the three
variables mentioned earlier and the other construct commonly referred to as impulsivity.
The university claimed that their study indicated that their self-determination is affected by
their overdependence with their smartphones to which they are no longer capable of taking
initiative to achieve and set goals on their own accord. The said study also claimed that
males are overly dependent with their smartphones due to the presence of the three (3)
variables (perception, impulsivity, and depression), while in the case of females it was
determination, impulsivity, and emotional intelligence of young adults. It was revealed that
was discovered that there was indeed a correlation between self-determination, impulsivity,
and emotional intelligence and between these variables there is an assurance of healthy
that factors such as social support, family, friends, and significant others are significant to
the growth of individuals. They also confirmed that cognitive impulsivity contributes to the
abruption in the behavior and lack of consideration of the adolescents (Emelyn Ramos &
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