IAS1162Human Personality & Team BuildingLesson 7

Introduction• Every semester, do you set goals for yourself?• What are the things you want to achieve:

• Today• Tomorrow• Near future• Beyond???

• Which one do you prefer?• Do a writing assignment or• Oral presentation in front of a class?

Achievement Goals• An achievement is not only determined by how we

account for performances, but also by the goals we set for ourselves

• Achievement goals provide targets that individuals aspire to in achievement situations

• Everyone has his/her own achievement goals

Categories• Investigators divide achievement goals into 2 broad

categories:• Mastery goals• Performance goals

Mastery Goals• Concerned with the developing competence• Students motivated by a strong mastery goal will work

hard to learn the subject matter in a course• Satisfaction comes from feeling they understand the

material and a sense of proficiency

Performance Goals• Concerned with demonstrating accomplishments to others• Students motivated by strong performance goals want to

obtain a high grade, if possible, the highest in class• Satisfaction comes from receiving the recognition that

accompanies the achievement

• Two students work equally hard, but each with own motivation• One to master• One to perform

• Difference?

Difference• One achieving student wants to learn the material and

enjoys the sensation of overcoming challenges to obtain a sense of competence• Example, someone who is weak at mathematics would strive

harder to understand the subject matter and in the end, could answer some arithmetic questions and pleasures at the fact that he could finally understand maths

• The other would determine what is needed to score in exams and arranges his study time to get the desired outcome

On the other hand…• People are not just motivated to succeed• Some are just more concerned about NOT failing• Both mastery and performance goals can be divided into

two more categories:• Approach goals• Avoidance goals

DefinitionAbsolute/Intrapersonal(Mastery)

Normative(Performance)

Valence

Positive(ApproachingSuccess)

Negative(AvoidingFailure)

Mastery-ApproachGoal

Performance-ApproachGoal

Mastery-AvoidanceGoal

Performance-Avoidance Goal

… cont’d• Within this framework

• Students try to learn difficult material (mastery goal) can be motivated either • By a desire to achieve a sense of mastery (approach)• By a wish to not feel incompetent (avoidance)

Similarly

• Students who rely on performance goals might be motivated by• Gaining recognition for their accomplishments• Avoiding embarrassment of a poor performance

What does it say?• Students using mastery goals often choose more

challenging tasks and more interested in their classes than students who rely on performance goals

• When given a choice, those with mastery goals will choose more challenging assignment, select tasks which they are more curious about

• Students with performance goals would ask which will give them better grades

• Students interested in learning the material is unlikely to ask “will this be on the test?”

… cont’d • People motivated by mastery goals are likely to retain the

information and skills they learn longer than those driven by performance goals

• Example:• Piano student whose goal is to master a difficult concerto is likely to

remember the piece longer than the student who simply wants to sound good at a recital

• People motivated by mastery goals often continue their interest in the material after the recognition for achievement is gone

• Example:• Student who reads Charles Dickens with the goal of obtaining a deeper

appreciation for fine literature is more likely to read good books than those who read the same book only to do well in exams

The best thing to do• Combine both goals• Master the material and then perform

• Remind me of my Additional Mathematics teacher, En. Tuan Yusof (Mr. TY)• “Kalau awak faham konsep (mastery), datang gajah rimau pun

awak boleh selesaikan (performance)

Social Anxiety• In a gathering of strangers, there are people who would

feel at home: introducing himself, strike a conversation• There are some who would just sit alone in a corner as if

oblivious to the surrounding• Others would try to make a conversation but would look at

the floor• Conversation would end in 30 seconds• Leaves the room in 10 minutes

• The last two scenarios show what most of us call it as ‘social anxiety’

• Social anxiety is anxiety related specifically to social interactions or anticipated social interactions

… cont’d• Symptoms

• Increased physiological arousal• Inability to concentrate• Feelings of nervousness

• Other / related constructs as social anxiety:• Shyness• Dating anxiety• Communication anxiety• Reticence (Reserve, Silence)• Stage fright

• Not introversion – choose to be by themselves• Socially anxious people recognize their problem and do not like it

and willing to overcome

Characteristics of Socially Anxious People

• Have a difficult time in many social situations• Feel awkward and nervous when have to talk to others• Very concerned about what others think about them• Become self-conscious when meeting new people and talk

in front of an audience• Always think about what they are doing wrong, how stupid

they sound, how foolish they look• Stumble over their words, say the wrong things• Show outward signs of nervousness – perspiration,

shakiness• Feel ashamed or embarrassed about what they say or do

in social situations

… cont’d • Easily blushed• So self-conscious and embarrassed that they cannot think

of anything to say• Interpret negatively whatever feedback they get about

them

Why are people socially anxious?• Evaluation apprehensive – afraid of what other people

think of them, especially negative evaluation• Worry that others think of them as foolish, boring,

immature, etc.• Thus, even thinking about a blind date, giving a speech in

front of a large audience, meeting people for the first time can be a nightmare

So, what do they do?• Avoid social encounters• Skip parties where they might not know anyone• Avoid blind dates• Opt for written assignments instead of class presentation• Reduce the amount of social interaction• Avoid eye contact• Keep conversation short and nonthreatening• Always agree to what the other person is saying – create

an image of politeness and interest without becoming too involved in the conversation

• Limit the amount of personal information revelation

… cont’d• Higher rates of shyness in cultures that emphasize

concern for what others think of one and the importance of avoiding criticism

• Rampant in collectivist culture

However!!!• Socially anxious people may not be as incapable of

conversation• Little difficulty interacting with others once they get started• For some shy people, initiating a conversation seems to

be the stumbling block – usually give them a few minutes and shy people may turn into an extrovert

• All is required is confidence!

Are you socially anxious?• Take a piece of paper and answer these questions• Rank it with a 5-point scale where:

• 1 = Not at all my characteristics• 5 = Extremely my characteristics

• Don’t rate yourself 1 or 5 only, the point scale is 1 2 3 4 AND 5

• Once you’re done, give it to your neighbor for scoring

• BE HONEST!

The questions1. I often feel nervous even in casual get-togethers2. I usually feel uncomfortable when I am in a group of

people I don’t know3. I am usually at ease when speaking to a member of the

opposite sex *4. I get nervous when I must talk to a teacher or boss5. Parties often make me feel anxious and uncomfortable6. I am probably less shy in social interactions than most

people *7. I sometimes feel tense talking to people of my own sex

if I don’t know them very well

… cont’d8. I would be nervous if I were being interviewed for a job9. I wish I had more confidence in social situations10. I seldom feel anxious in social situations *11. In general, I am a shy person12. I often feel nervous when talking to an attractive member

of the opposite sex13. I often feel nervous when calling someone I don’t know

very well on the telephone14. I get nervous when I speak to someone in a position of

authority15. I usually feel relaxed around other people, even people

who are quite different from me *

Calculation time!• To obtain your score, first REVERSE the values for the

answers to items with an asterisk (1=5, 2=4, 3=3, 4=2, 5=1)

• Add all 15 answer

• The higher the score, the more socially anxious you are • Max = 59 (EXTREMELY SOCIALLY ANXIOUS!!!)• Min = 31 (EXTREMELY NOT)

• So, are you a socially anxious person????

Don’t be shy

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You shouldn’t be. Some of you have danced in front, some even have modeled in front of others.