Transformative Self-Regulation and the Quiet Ego

2021 ◽  
pp. 263-285
Author(s):  
Jack Bauer
Keyword(s):  
Life Stories ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Process Models ◽  
Dual Process ◽  
Dual Processes ◽  
Quiet Ego ◽  
Self Development ◽  
Over Time

This chapter examines how the transformative self facilitates long-term self-regulation. Most research on self-regulation targets the immediate moment (referred to here as micro self-regulation) or personal events that last weeks or months (meso self-regulation). In contrast, the transformative self functions as a tool for macro self-regulation in one’s attempt to shape one’s life over time (for which evolving life stories are especially well suited). Hedonic, transformative self-regulation comes in the forms of realistic optimism, self-improvement motivation, cybernetic feedback motives, intentional self-development, and the flexible pursuit of goals. Eudaimonic, transformative self-regulation is especially helpful for adaptation to life’s difficulties and is found in dual-process models of adaptation to loss and potential trauma. These dual processes aim to regulate and balance both affect and meaning-making. The quiet ego represents a synthesis of these forms of self-regulation, balancing detached awareness (e.g., mindfulness), inclusive identity (e.g., interdependence, compassion), perspective-taking (e.g., value perspectivity), and growth-mindedness.

scholarly journals Two-Mode Models of Self-Regulation as a Tool for Conceptualizing Effects of the Serotonin System in Normal Behavior and Diverse Disorders

2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 195-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles S. Carver ◽  
Sheri L. Johnson ◽  
Jutta Joormann
Keyword(s):  
Lower Order ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Process Models ◽  
Dual Process ◽  
Order System ◽  
Behavioral Variability ◽  
Neural Pathways ◽  
Serotonin System ◽  
Serotonergic Function ◽  
Lower Order System

The serotonin system is a collection of neural pathways whose overall level of functioning (from low to high) relates to diverse kinds of psychological and behavioral variability. Individual differences in serotonergic function are important both in personality and in vulnerability to psychological disorders. These disorders range widely—from impulsive aggression to depression. One way to understand such diverse reflections of differences in serotonergic function is by viewing serotonergic function through the lens of two-mode (or dual-process) models of self-regulation. Such theories posit a lower-order system that responds quickly to associative cues of the moment and a higher-order system that responds reflectively and planfully. Low serotonergic function appears to enhance influence of the lower-order system. This often yields impulsive reactivity. Why, then, does low serotonergic function also relate to depression, which is characterized by lethargy and unresponsiveness? The answer must be that ascendance of the lower system interacts with other factors. One hypothesis is that low serotonergic function plus high sensitivity to incentives yields vulnerability to impulsive approach, whereas low serotonergic function plus low incentive sensitivity yields vulnerability to depression. Conceptualizing serotonergic function this way helps integrate information pertaining to very different disorders into a coherent picture.

Grapsas,Brummelman,Back,Denissen - A Process Model of Narcissistic Status Pursuit - In Press

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Efstathios Grapsas ◽  
Eddie Brummelman ◽  
Mitja Back ◽  
Jaap J. A. Denissen
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Social Status ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Process Models ◽  
Grandiose Narcissism ◽  
The Status ◽  
Regulation Model ◽  
Over Time

We propose a self-regulation model of grandiose narcissism. This model illustrates an interconnected set of processes through which narcissists (i.e., individuals with relatively high levels of grandiose narcissism) pursue social status in their moment-by-moment transactions with their environments. According to the model, narcissists select situations that afford status. Narcissists vigilantly attend to cues related to the status they and others have in these situations. Based on these perceived cues, narcissists appraise whether they can elevate their status or reduce the status of others. In accordance with these appraisals, narcissists engage in self-promotion (admiration pathway) or other-derogation (rivalry pathway). Each pathway has unique consequences for how narcissists are perceived by others, thus shaping their social status over time. The model we offer helps understand how narcissism manifests itself as a stable and consistent cluster of behaviors in pursuit of social status and how it develops and maintains itself over time. More broadly, the model might offer useful insights for future process models of other personality traits.

Interest development and self-regulation of motivation

10.47908/8/3 ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 63-76
Author(s):  
David McLoughlin
Keyword(s):  
Self Regulation ◽  
Learner Autonomy ◽  
Classroom Learning ◽  
Essential Component ◽  
Learning Contexts ◽  
Interest Development ◽  
Over Time

In this chapter, the author investigates the importance of interest as an essential component of both self-regulation and motivation which are both critical in the development of learner autonomy, especially outside the classroom. The author shows how interest not only initiates motivation but can also sustain it in the long term. The role of interest as a source and a driver of motivation has not always been emphasized enough, but its significance has been increasingly recognized in research over the last couple of decades (Hidi & Ainley, 2009; Hidi & Renninger, 2006; Sansone, 2009; Sansone & Thoman, 2005, 2006). Because interest is now seen as crucial in enabling learners to maintain their motivation over time, it has a particular relevance to individuals in self-directed or ‘beyond the classroom’ learning contexts. In such contexts, learners have to regulate their own motivation to a great extent. They can do this by setting goals and monitoring their progress in attaining those goals. They can also maintain their motivation by finding what interests them and by developing that interest. Some studies have shown how autonomous learners use interest as well as goals to regulate and sustain their motivation (McLoughlin & Mynard, 2015, 2018; Mynard & McLoughlin, 2016). This chapter examines how a focus on interest helps learners become more effective at regulating their motivation, as well as how interest development can play an important part in creating more autonomous learners.

Spontaneous and Controlled Processes in Creative Cognition

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathias Benedek ◽  
Emanuel Jauk
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Divergent Thinking ◽  
Process Models ◽  
Dual Process ◽  
Creative Thought ◽  
Controlled Processes ◽  
Creative Cognition ◽  
Insight Problem Solving ◽  
Spontaneous Thought

Creative cognition has long been hypothesized to rely on spontaneous as well as controlled cognitive processes. This chapter starts by giving a brief overview of pertinent dual process models of creative thought. It then reviews empirical research supporting the relevance of controlled and spontaneous processes in creative cognition (mostly defined by divergent thinking and insight problem solving). The relevance of controlled processes is mainly supported by verbal protocol studies and individual differences research on executive functions and intelligence. The relevance of spontaneous processes is mainly supported by research on incubation and neuroscientific investigations. The chapter concludes by considering potential ways of interaction between goal-directed, controlled thought and undirected, spontaneous thought, both from the short-term perspective of immediate creative problem solving as well as from the long-term perspective of extended creative work.

scholarly journals The “Why” and “How” of Narcissism: A Process Model of Narcissistic Status Pursuit

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 150-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stathis Grapsas ◽  
Eddie Brummelman ◽  
Mitja D. Back ◽  
Jaap J. A. Denissen
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Social Status ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Process Models ◽  
Grandiose Narcissism ◽  
The Status ◽  
Regulation Model ◽  
Over Time

We propose a self-regulation model of grandiose narcissism. This model illustrates an interconnected set of processes through which narcissists (i.e., individuals with relatively high levels of grandiose narcissism) pursue social status in their moment-by-moment transactions with their environments. The model shows that narcissists select situations that afford status. Narcissists vigilantly attend to cues related to the status they and others have in these situations and, on the basis of these perceived cues, appraise whether they can elevate their status or reduce the status of others. Narcissists engage in self-promotion (admiration pathway) or other-derogation (rivalry pathway) in accordance with these appraisals. Each pathway has unique consequences for how narcissists are perceived by others, thus shaping their social status over time. The model demonstrates how narcissism manifests itself as a stable and consistent cluster of behaviors in pursuit of social status and how it develops and maintains itself over time. More broadly, the model might offer useful insights for future process models of other personality traits.

scholarly journals Self-control: An integrative framework

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaitlyn M. Werner ◽  
Brett Quaid Ford
Keyword(s):  
Self Regulation ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Integrative Framework ◽  
Multi Stage ◽  
Stage Process ◽  
Three Stages ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Selection Of

Research on self-control has flourished within the last two decades, with researchers trying to answer one of the most fundamental questions regarding human behaviour – how do we successfully regulate desires in the pursuit of long-term goals? While recent research has focused on different strategies to enhance self-control success, we still know very little about how strategies are implemented or where the need for self-control comes from in the first place. Drawing from parallel fields (e.g., emotion regulation, health) and other theories of self-regulation, we propose a framework that describes self-control as a dynamic, multi-stage process that unfolds over time. In this review, we first provide an overview of this framework, which poses three stages of regulation: the identification of the need for self-control, the selection of strategies to regulate temptations, and the implementation of chosen strategies. These regulatory stages are then flexibly monitored over time. We then propose a series of questions to organize existing literature by highlighting what we already know, what we need to learn, and methodological recommendations for future research. Finally, we conclude by highlighting the need to bridge across disciplines, thereby improving our understanding of how self-control unfolds in everyday life and across different domains.

Cybernetic Control Processes and the Self-Regulation of Behavior

2012 ◽  
pp. 27-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles S. Carver ◽  
Michael F. Scheier
Keyword(s):  
Feedback Control ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
The Self ◽  
Process Models ◽  
Dual Process ◽  
Control Processes ◽  
The Moment ◽  
Mechanical Devices ◽  
Many Sources

This chapter describes a set of ideas bearing on the self-regulation of action and emotion that has been given labels such as cybernetic and feedback control processes. The ideas have roots in many sources, including the concept of homeostasis and attempts to create mechanical devices to serve as governors for engines. With respect to motivation, these ideas yield a viewpoint in which goal-directed action is seen as reflecting a hierarchy of feedback control processes and the creation and reduction of affect are seen as reflecting another set of feedback processes. The portion of the model devoted to affect is of particular interest in that it generates two predictions that differ substantially from those deriving from other theories. The first is that both approach and avoidance can give rise to both positive and negative feelings; the second is that positive affect leads to coasting, reduction in effort regarding the goal under pursuit. The latter suggests a way in which positive affect is involved in priority management when many goals are in existence at the same time. Recent interest in dual-process models, which distinguish between top-down goal pursuit and reflexive responses to cues of the moment, has caused us to reexamine some of our previous assumptions and to consider the possibility that behavior is triggered in two distinct ways. The chapter closes with a brief consideration of how these ideas might be compatible with other viewpoints on motivation.

scholarly journals How does benefit finding evolve over time among Chinese women breast cancer survivals: a longitudinal study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weiyun Bi ◽  
Huaning Wang ◽  
Guitao Yang ◽  
Cailin Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Chinese Women ◽  
Benefit Finding ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Post Traumatic Growth ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Active Disease ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Objective: Even though the prevalence of benefit finding (BF) has been empirically shown to exist among breast cancer (BC) survivals, how does benefit finding evolve over time remains inadequately investigated. This objective of this study is to examine how BF evolves over time among Chinese breast cancer survivals and determine the demographic, medical and psychosocial factors that can sustain BF increase over time, thus bring about higher level of long-term post-traumatic growth among breast cancer survivals. Methods: Participants were 486 women with different stages of breast cancer (stages I, II and III) followed from completion of primary treatment. Analysis were performed on the data collected at the 3-year assessment during 2014-2019. Participants completed self-report questionnaires of characteristics and benefit finding at six time points with the interval of six months since BC diagnosis. The relationships between demographic, medical and psychosocial characteristics and benefit finding evolution over time were examined using mixed models. Results: Participants reported mixed results on the evolving patterns of benefit finding: 28% reported an upward trend in BF scoring over time, 49% instead reported an downward trend, and the remaining 23% reported no obvious change. Our study has shown that some well-known covariates of benefit finding, e.g. education, income, and social support, are not associated with BF trends. In comparison, levels of spirituality and disease coping at diagnosis can more reliably predict BF evolution over time. Our results strongly indicate that benefit finding can be sustained and increased by encouraging attempts at meaning-making and active disease coping during breast cancer treatment. To our knowledge, this study is among the first to examine trends of benefit finding evolution over time on breast cancer survivals and determine their psychosocial predictors in developing countries. Conclusion: Identifying the sustaining factors of benefit finding in the experience of breast cancer is the key to design psycho clinical solutions for patients’ long-term post-traumatic growth. As time goes by, cancer patients may experience less benefit finding. However, active disease coping and meaning-making by patients can effectively counter this undesired trend and boost their higher long-term post-traumatic growth.

scholarly journals (accepted) Cognitive regulation outdoes behavior regulation in predicting state standardized test scores over time

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anahid Modrek ◽  
Gerardo Ramirez
Keyword(s):  
Test Scores ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Standardized Test ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Standardized Test Scores ◽  
Behavior Regulation ◽  
Cognitive Regulation ◽  
Over Time

Individual differences in self-regulation have been a topic of increased empirical research. However, few investigations have been conducted on how sub-components of self-regulation differentially predict education outcomes over time. We examined cognitive and behavior regulation as predictors of middle-school students’ (n=127) long-term academic achievement. It has been previously reported that behavior regulation, not cognitive regulation, predicts state standardized test scores in the first year (Modrek et al., 2019). However, here we show that after two years, this pattern flips in that cognitive regulation, not behavior regulation, predicts state standardized test scores for both math and English. We analyzed the mediating role of learning using structural equation modeling, suggesting the differing roles of self-regulation in education where certain facets may or may not affect students’ long-term outcomes.

scholarly journals How does benefit finding evolve over time among Chinese women breast cancer survivals: a longitudinal study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weiyun Bi ◽  
Huaning Wang ◽  
Guitao Yang ◽  
Cailin Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Chinese Women ◽  
Benefit Finding ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Post Traumatic Growth ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Active Disease ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Objective: Even though the prevalence of benefit finding (BF) has been empirically shown to exist among breast cancer (BC) survivals, how does benefit finding evolve over time remains inadequately investigated. This objective of this study is to examine how BF evolves over time among Chinese breast cancer survivals and determine the demographic, medical and psychosocial factors that can sustain BF increase over time, thus bring about higher level of long-term post-traumatic growth among breast cancer survivals. Methods: Participants were 486 women with different stages of breast cancer (stages I, II and III) followed from completion of primary treatment. Analysis were performed on the data collected at the 3-year assessment during 2014-2019. Participants completed self-report questionnaires of characteristics and benefit finding at six time points with the interval of six months since BC diagnosis. The relationships between demographic, medical and psychosocial characteristics and benefit finding evolution over time were examined using mixed models. Results: Participants reported mixed results on the evolving patterns of benefit finding: 28% reported an upward trend in BF scoring over time, 49% instead reported an downward trend, and the remaining 23% reported no obvious change. Our study has shown that some well-known covariates of benefit finding, e.g. education, income, and social support, are not associated with BF trends. In comparison, levels of spirituality and disease coping at diagnosis can more reliably predict BF evolution over time. Our results strongly indicate that benefit finding can be sustained and increased by encouraging attempts at meaning-making and active disease coping during breast cancer treatment. To our knowledge, this study is among the first to examine trends of benefit finding evolution over time on breast cancer survivals and determine their psychosocial predictors in developing countries. Conclusion: Identifying the sustaining factors of benefit finding in the experience of breast cancer is the key to design psycho clinical solutions for patients’ long-term post-traumatic growth. As time goes by, cancer patients may experience less benefit finding. However, active disease coping and meaning-making by patients can effectively counter this undesired trend and boost their higher long-term post-traumatic growth.

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