1: Concepts of Adjustment

Growth Mindset

“To briefly sum up the findings: Individuals who believe their talents can be developed (through hard work, good strategies, and input from others) have a growth mindset. They tend to achieve more than those with a more fixed mindset (those who believe their talents are innate gifts).” (p2)

Dweck, Carol. (Jan 2016). What Having a “Growth Mindset” Actually Means. Harvard Business Review Digital Articles, p2-4

Reading 1: Dweck Growth Mindset (Dweck, C. (2016). What having a “growth mindset” actually means. Harvard Business Review.)

Stanford Psychology professor, Carol Dweck, pioneered the notion of a growth mindset. This mindset is in direct opposition to a fixed (or rigid) mindset. With the former, she observed individuals who had outlooks of hope and optimism for positive change. At their core, these individuals believed that they were masters of their universe and fate – in large measure. Although they may not be able to change the things that happen to them, they can retain full command of their reaction and perception of circumstances. Particularly, with a growth orientation, one will be open to developing new talents and tackling new challenges in life whether they feel they have a natural proclivity toward it or not. They do not feel limited, in other words, by perceived innate gifts or talents. The growth potential, in other words, is something they possess and actively pursue.

Key Concepts: Growth Mindset, Fixed Mindset, Growth Zone, Triggers

Stages of Change

“Set realistic goals by moving one stage at a time. A goal for many patients, particularly in a time-limited managed care environment, is to set realistic goals, such as helping patients progress from precontemplation to contemplation. Such progress means that patients are changing if we view change as a process that unfolds over time, through a series of stages. Helping patients break out of the chronic, stuck phase of precontemplation constitutes treatment success, because it almost doubles the chances that patients Stages of Change will take effective action in the next 6 months (Prochaska, Velicer, Prochaska, & Johnson, 2004).” (pp151-152)

Norcross, John C., Krebs, Paul, M., Prochaska, James O. (Feb, 2011) “Stages of change.” Journal of Clinical

Psychology, 67(2), 143-154.

Reading 2: Stages of Change Model

(http://www.cpe.vt.edu/gttc/presentations/8eStagesofChange.pdf)

The concept of stages of change begs the question of whether we can realize true and lasting change without mastering each step along the way. In other words, can an eagerness to quickly reach the summit, bypassing critical pathways, actually cause us to become derailed from achieving the change we want? Does each step along the way play a key role in sustaining the goals that we ultimately obtain? The architects of the Stages of Change model certainly indicate that the process is just as important as the outcome if we have hope of making lasting change.

Key Concepts: Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation /Determination, Action/Willpower, Maintenance, Relapse

Happiness

“This article is about happiness in the sense of life-satisfaction; enduring enjoyment of one’s life as a whole. This definition is fundamental to the above-mentioned World Database of Happiness, which serves as an online appendix to this review of the available research findings on this particular subject.” (p382)

Veenhoven, Ruut. (Oct, 2015). Social conditions for human happiness: A review of research. International Journal of Psychology, 50(5), 379-391.

Reading 3: The Science of Happiness

(“What is the Science of Happiness?” by Berkeley Wellness)

What type of goals do you set for yourself? As a college student, you may desire to get the best grades and pass all of your courses. You may also be honing in on your major and trying to find which career best fits your abilities and passions. Perhaps, you are looking to make the most of the extracurricular options to enhance your overall experience and make you more attractive to a future employer. Money is often a go-to goal when people are asked this question. But what are they really saying when they say they want money? Do they want power? Security? More options? A feeling of superiority in relation to others? Money often belies an underlying desire for happiness.

What really makes us happy – especially if we are all directed toward individual pursuits? Are there some universal laws that explain sources of well-being in a generalized way? In other words, without getting into the specifics of one person’s goals in relation to another’s, are there some parallels that help explain the pursuit of well-being for all?

Key Concepts: Life satisfaction, Meaning, Social Connection, Genetic Variance, Perfectionism, Maximizing, Money

Hierarchy of Needs and Self-Actualization

“Instead of focusing on psychopathology and what goes wrong with people, Maslow (1943) formulated a more positive account of human behavior which focused on what goes right. He was interested in human potential, and how we fulfill that potential.

Psychologist Abraham Maslow (1943, 1954) stated that human motivation is based on people seeking fulfillment and change through personal growth. Self-actualized people are those who were fulfilled and doing all they were capable of.”

Mcleod, Saul (2016). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html

Reading 4: Hierarchy of Needs and Self-Actualization

(McLeod, S. (2017). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. at SimplyPsychology.org)

In his groundbreaking work titled, “A Theory of Human Motivation” (1943)*, Abraham Maslow, looked deeply at the concept of human potential and motivation. In his reflections of clinical patients and society, in general, he identified what appeared to be universal needs. Further, he recognized that not all needs are created equal. There are layers in which some needs necessarily precede others. If we do not achieve our most basic needs, we are in a poor position to try and achieve higher needs. In fact, Maslow suggested that we lacked the motivation to achieve more when our focus is on basic needs. In his Hierarchy of Needs model, he explained that every person must have fulfillment of certain basic needs before they can aspire to higher needs that lead to happiness and truth. The idea is often represented as levels within a pyramid (Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\)). While most people can conquer their basic needs, not everyone reaches the apex which is narrower by design.

*Maslow, A.H. (1943). A Theory of Human Motivation, Psychological Review, 50(4), 370-396.

Key Concepts: Self-actualization, Characteristics of Self-actualizers, Motivation, Physiological Needs, Safety Needs, Belonging Needs, Esteem Needs, Expanded Hierarchy of Needs Model

Reflections

1) In what ways can a growth-mindset be strengthened?

2) What are some of the major triggers that negatively affect our ability to maintain a growth-mindset?

3) Why do some people who succeed in achieving a wanted change sometimes sink back into previous ways?

4) What steps can you take in your own life today in order to succeed in making wanted personal changes?

5) What brings you a sense of happiness or life satisfaction?

6) Do happy people create happiness or is happiness something that happens to the lucky few?

7) Maslow acknowledged methodological weaknesses in development of his theory. Do you think, aside from

weak empirical evidence, there are flaws in his theory which call the hierarchy model into question?

8) What are some of the most notable characteristics of the self-actualized person?