CHAPTER 3:

MANAGING
AND CARING
FOR SELF
KINDS OF ENVIRONMENT we are exposed to:

Physical Social Cultural

Environment Environment
environment includes the language
which affects all includes our family used during family
areas of our and other people interaction, the food
health and we come into we eat, the customs and
safety conditions. contact with daily. traditions of the place
we come from, or the
religious group we
belong.
 LESSON 1:
Learning To Be a Better
Student

To be a better student is
always one of the best things one
can become while schooling. If
this is so, why then can’t one
seem to reach his/her full
academic potential? This
condition may have been
affected by our capacity to learn
and retain what we have learned
 Learnin
g
• Is defined as a relatively permanent change in
behaviour that is brought about by experience (Feldman,
2013)
• Does not include behaviour changes that are due to
maturation or temporary conditions of the organism,
such as fatigue or drug-induced states (Smith, Nolen-
Hoeksema, Fredrickson, & Loftus, 2003)

Cacioppo & Freberg presented the three main types of

learning, namely: associative, non-associative, and
observation. They assert that more than one type of
 Classical Conditioning
• A famous research done by Ivan Pavlov
• It is forming associations between pairs of stimuli that
occur sequentially in time.
• “Conditioned” refers to something that must be
learned, while “unconditioned” refers to factors that
are reflexive or that occur without any learning.
- conditioned stimulus (CS) refers to an environmental
event
whose significance is learned.
- unconditioned stimulus (UCS) has innate, built-in
meaning to
the organism.
- conditioned responses (CRs) are learned reactions
 Operant Conditioning
• It is forming associations
between behaviors and their
consequences.
• Different from Classical
Conditioning; original
behaviours are natural,
biological responses to the
presence of a stimulus such as
food, water, or pain.
• Voluntary responses, which an
organism performs deliberately
Central
Concepts:
• Reinforcement is a process by which a stimulus
increases the probability of a preceding behavior
to be repeated while a reinforcer is any stimulus
that increases the probability that a preceding
behavior will occur again.

• Punishment refers to a stimulus that decreases

the probability that a prior behavior will occur
again.
Reinforcers

Positive Reinforcer
A stimulus added to the environment that
brings about an increase in a preceding
response.

Negative Reinforcer
Refers to an unpleasant stimulus whose
removal leads to an increase in the probability
that a preceding response will be repeated in
the future.
Punishments
Positive Punishment
Weakens a response through
the application of unpleasant
stimulus.

Negative Punishment
It consists of the removal of
something pleasant.
Non-Associative Learning

Involves changes in the magnitude of responses to a single

stimulus rather than the formation of connections between
stimuli. This type of learning has two types:
Habituation
Reduces our reactions to repeated experiences that have
already been evaluated and found to be unchanging and
harmless.
Sensitization
Increases our reactions to a wide range of stimuli following
exposure to one strong stimulus.
Observational Learning
• Is also called imitation or modelling
• It is a learning that occurs when a person observes and
imitates behaviour.
• Four main processes: attention, retention, motor
reproduction, and reinforcement
Attention
• is needed to reproduce the model’s
actions.
• To attend to what the model is saying or
doing.
• Characteristics of the model can
influence attention.
Retention
Is done by encoding the information and
keeping it in memory so that you can
retrieve it.
Motor Reproduction
It is the process of imitating the model’s actions.

Reinforcement
It is observing whether the model’s behaviour is
followed by a consequence.
Metacognition and Study Strategies
Is commonly defined as “thinking about thinking” or
awareness and understanding of one’s thinking and
cognitive processes.
It means being aware of what you know and don’t know.
 Types of
Metacognitive Strategies
• Helps students plan, monitor, and modify their
mathematical problem-solving.
• Not only are these strategies relatively easy for
students to implement, but they also help
students to become better independent
problem solvers.
 Metacognitive
Definition Examples
Strategy
Self-instruction Talking one’s  “Did I understand what I just
self through a read? No, I didn’t. I need to
task or activity reread the problem.”
(also known  “What is this problem asking?
as self-talk) What information do I have?”
 “What is the next step?”

Checking one’s  Checking to make sure all steps

Self-monitoring
performance; are completed
 Checking for computational
often involves a
errors
checklist  Checking to make sure the
answer is feasible
 B. SETTING GOALS FOR
SUCCESS
Self-
Efficacy
• Is the belief in our ability to
influence events that effect our
lives and control over the way
these events are experienced.
(Bandura, 1994)
• It is the optimistic self-belief in our
competence, and that we have a
chance to successfully accomplish
a task and produce a favourable
 Self-Efficacy
Bandura’s four ways to do this:
1. Mastery Experiences – the
experience to master a task or
control an environment boosts self-
efficacy, while failure undermines it.
2. Social Modelling –observe people
successfully reach their goals
despite challenges
3. Social Persuasion – find the right
mentor that strengthens our beliefs.
4. States of Physiology – our emotions,
moods, and physical state can
 Mindset Theory
CAROL DWECK

• people can have different mindsets towards

different aspects of their lives.
• Those who attribute their successes on
innate ability hold a “fixed" theory of
intelligence (that is, a fixed mindset)
• while those who attribute their
accomplishments on learning, effort,
training, and practice, hold a “growth"
theory of intelligence (that is, a growth
mindset).
 Goal Setting Theory
EDWIN LOCKE

• It states that goal setting is essentially

linked to task performance.
• Specific and challenging goals along with
appropriate feedback contribute to higher
and better task performance.
Effective Goal Setting Principles
1.Clarity - a clear, measurable goal is more achievable than one
that is poorly defined. When the goal is clear, you will know
what you are trying to achieve.
2.Challenge - The more challenging the goals are, the more
people become motivated. However, it is important to consider
a careful balance to ensure the right degree of challenge.
3.Commitment - This means putting deliberate effort into
attaining the goal you set.
4.Feedback - Other than setting a goal, it is also good to listen to
feedback on how you are progressing towards the attainment
of your goal.
5.Task complexity - The more you set challenging goals, the
more complex the process will become. If the goal becomes
complex, it is helpful to break down larger tasks into smaller,
more attainable steps, so as not to become overwhelmed as
you go along the way.
 Goal Setting Tips: S.M.A.R.T Goals

e.g.: S.M.A.R.T. Goal: I will increase my grade both in Chemistry and Physics courses
to increase my overall average to qualify for an academic scholarship.
Overall Goal: I want to be a better student.
- Specific : I have to increase my scores during examination to increase my overall
average to qualify for an academic scholarship.
- Measurable: My scores during minor and major examinations have to reach 95% of
the total score per exam.
- Achievable: I will ask my classmates who do well in Chemistry and Physics to teach
me on the topics that I don’t clearly understand.
- Relevant: I will reduce the financial requirements every semester. Better grades will
also open more opportunities for me.
- Time-bound: I have four days to prepare for the quiz in Chemistry and five days to
prepare for Physics; four weeks to prepare for the midterm so I have plenty of time to
do personal study, and meet my classmates and teachers to help me with my weak
points in these courses.
Goal Setting Tips: Write Down your Goals

In this way, it will be easier to keep

track how far or near are you in
reaching it. In writing your goals, use
“I will” and frame your goal
statement positively.

Goal Setting Tips: Stick With your Goals

Whatever challenges you may face on
the process of achieving your goal, you
need to be convinced that with hard
work and commitment, everything will
be possible.
 C. Taking Charge of One’s Health
• Several factors that may affect our health: environment,
genetics, and our relationships with people
• Personality have significant impacts on our health.
• Rathus (2013) forwarded his definition on stress as any
demand made by an organism to adapt, cope, or adjust.
• It is classified into two:
o Eustress helps us become alert and occupied.
o Distress is experienced if stress is intensed or
prolonged; it can become a burden, thus, will affect our
moods and ability to adjust, impair our ability to
experience pleasure, and harm the body.
General Adaptation Syndrome
(GAS)
Hans Selye, the founder of stress research, started his
investigation on the body’s response to stressors,
especially the wear and tear due to the demands
placed on the body.

Selye’s term, for the common effects on the body

when demands are placed on it, is called the General
Adaptation Syndrome (GAS). GAS consists of three
stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion. King
described Selye’s model as useful in helping us
 3 STAGES OF GAS
Alarm Stage Resistance Stage
• Is the body’s first reaction to • Glands throughout the body
a stressor. manufacture different
• It is the temporary state of hormones that protect the
shock during which individual.
resistance to illness and • The body’s immune system can
stress falls below normal fight off infection with
Exhaustion
limits. Stage remarkable efficiency.
At this point, wear and tear takes its toll-
the person might collapse in exhaustion,
and vulnerability to disease increases.
Seriously, possibly irreversible damage to
the body, such as heart attack or even
death, may occur.
 Factors that Causes
Stress
1. Daily Hassles
• Household hassles • Inner concern hassles
• Health hassles • Financial responsibility
• Time-pressure hassles
hassles • Work Hassles
• Environmental • Security hassles
hassles
Uplifts, on the other hand, refer to the opposite of daily hassles. Some
examples of uplifts are pleasant family outings, good grades, enjoyable TV
shows, and tasty meals.
Factors that Causes Stress
2. Life Changes
Getting a scholarship, graduating from college, marrying the
right person, finding a good job, and moving to a better
neighborhood require us to adjust. Although variety adds
spice to life, too much of it might lead to physical illness.

3. Conflict
Four Kinds of Conflict:
Is defined as the
1. Approach-approach Conflict
feeling of being pulled 2. Avoidance-avoidance Conflict
in two or more 3. Approach-avoidance Conflict
directions by opposing 4. Multiple approach-avoidance
motives Conflict
 Avoidance-Avoidance Approach-Approach Conflict
Conflict
Is more stressful because we are • Considered the least stressful type.
motivated to avoid each of the two • Each of the two goals is desirable
negative goals, yet avoiding one of and both are within reach.
them requires approaching the other.
Multiple Approach-Avoidance
Approach-Avoidance Conflict Conflict
Is experienced when the same goal • Is the most complex form of conflict
produces both approach and because each of several alternative
avoidance motives. courses of action has pluses and
minuses.
• Each alternative has both positive and
negative aspects.
 Who Can be Stressed?
The Type A Behavior Pattern
• Are like race horses.
• They are highly driven, competent, impatient, and aggressive - so
much that they are prone to getting into vehicle accidents (Ben-Zur,
2002; Yamada et al., 2008).
The Type B Behavior Pattern
• Are relax more readily and focus more on the quality of life. They
are less ambitious and less impatient, and they pace themselves.

The Type D Behavior Pattern

• Are generally distressed, frequently experience negative emotions, and socially inhibited.
(Beutel et.al., 2012; Cosci, 2012; Molloy et. al., 2012)
• Even after adjustment for depression, they face a threefold increased risk
of adverse cardiovascular outcomes. (Denollet & Conraads, 2011)
 Psychological Moderators of Stress
Self Efficacy
Is the ability to believe in our
capacity to make things happen.
This kind of ability helps us
withstand stress.
Sense of Humor
Can moderate the effects of stress.
Laughter stimulates the output of
endorphins, which might enhance the
functioning of the immune system.
(Marziali et al., 2008)
 Psychological Moderators of
Stress
Psychological Hardiness
• one’s commitment to something or someone that is important to him/her
gives his/her life a purpose.
• studies show that the degree of control one has over any stressor will
influence how difficult the stressor will be for one to cope with.
• those who are susceptible to stress tend to perceive difficulties as threats;
stress-hardy people perceive such difficulties as a challenge.

Predictability and Control

• These two abilities will enable us to moderate the impact of
stress.
• Predictability allows us to prepare ourselves for the inevitable
while control allows us to feel that we are not at the mercy of the
fates (Folkman & Moskowitz, 2000b; Yartz et al., 2008).
 Psychological Moderators of
Social support Stress
• Has been considered as a buffer against the effects of
stress. It can be given to and received by people through
the following aspects:
Emotional Support. This aspect can be demonstrated through
listening to people’s concerns and expressing feelings of sympathy,
caring, understanding, and reassurance.

Instrumental aid can be in the form of material support

and services that facilitate adaptation.
Information can be shared giving guidance and advice that
enhance people’s ability to cope.
Appraisal is done by giving feedback about
how one is doing. This kind of support helps
people interpret what happened to them.

Socializing can be in a form of initiating

simple conversation or going shopping with
another person.

Social Support
 Stress Management
Strategies
Physical Management
• Structure each day to include a minimum of 20 minutes of
aerobic exercise
• Eat a balanced meal, avoid caffeine, get enough hours of sleep,
take a warm bath or shower
•Behavioral
Go for walks
Management
This type of management can be done through involvement
in diversionary activities or direct action taking like positive
addiction to cross stitching, gardening, drawing, writing
poems, composing songs, etc.
 Stress Management
Strategies
Cognitive Restructuring
Think in terms of the following:
1. What is the worst that could happen in this
situation?
2. Is the worst that could happen really so
terrible?
3. What is the likelihood that the worst that
could happen would actually take place?
4. Have I ever experienced anything so terrible
in the
Thepast and still to
decision managed
cope to survive?
with stress
effectively is essential for physical and
WDEP of the Choice Theory

Want
Doing (What have you done already?)

Evaluate (Are the things you were doing enough to go

closer to what you want?)
Plan (What would you like to do to go closer to what
you want?)