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Bloggin' With Hawk
Bloggin' With Hawk
As is popular these days, “My bad.” I put the

There is most definitely a method to the psychology. I have included some segments from a couple website articles that talk about Mastery Orientation versus Learned Helplessness; important elements for all of us looking to improve our human condition.
Motivation
Personality and Differential Motivation in the Classroom ? an extract
William Perez and Hunter Gehlbach
http://www.alite.co.uk/readings/motivation/motivation2.htm
These theories have potent implications for predicting behavior patterns related to learning. Atkinson and Feather (1974) found that people who have a greater orientation towards approaching success tend to have higher levels of academic achievement. This correlation is explained in the following manner:
Students whose tendency to approach success is greater than their tendency to avoid failure are more likely to engage in tasks that challenge them. Students whose tendency is to avoid failure are more likely to protect their ego by engaging in very easy or very difficult tasks. While they may be successful in protecting their ego in the short term, they engage in situations and behaviors that minimize learning since they already know the answer on easy tasks or are helplessly guessing on extremely hard tasks. This explanation dovetails with the goal setting theory put forth by Dweck and Leggett (1988). They report on an earlier study of Dweck’s where both mastery-oriented and helpless-oriented children were given a series of problems and experienced both successes and failures. They state that, “the mastery oriented children not only believed they could surmount obstacles and reach a solution, but even relished the opportunity to do so.” (Dweck & Leggett, 1988, p. 258). Thus, those students with a learning/mastery orientation or a greater tendency to approach success are more likely to put themselves in situations that will enhance their future learning.
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The Effort Effect |
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According to a Stanford psychologist, you’ll reach new heights if you learn to embrace the occasional tumble. |
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BY marina krakovsky |
http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2007/marapr/features/dweck.html
Carol Dweck ?and her recent book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
.........Such zest for challenge helped explain why other capable students thought they lacked ability just because they’d hit a setback. Common sense suggests that ability inspires self-confidence. And it does for a while?so long as the going is easy. But setbacks change everything. Dweck realized?and, with colleague Elaine Elliott soon demonstrated?that the difference lay in the kids’ goals. “The mastery-oriented children are really hell-bent on learning something,” Dweck says, and “learning goals” inspire a different chain of thoughts and behaviors than “performance goals.”
Students for whom performance is paramount want to look smart even if it means not learning a thing in the process. For them, each task is a challenge to their self-image, and each setback becomes a personal threat. So they pursue only activities at which they’re sure to shine?and avoid the sorts of experiences necessary to grow and flourish in any endeavor. Students with learning goals, on the other hand, take necessary risks and don’t worry about failure because each mistake becomes a chance to learn. Dweck’s insight launched a new field of educational psychology?achievement goal theory.
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Book? Go with Dweck’s “Mindset”, it’s excellent.
Music? My man JD turned me on to Mariza..........he’s right, you don’t understand a word of the Portuguese, but the music will speak to you.
Movie? Ever heard of “The Earthling”? Good story of overcoming adversity and learning some tough important life lessons.
PEACE!
Hawk
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