Cognition versus biology

Answer

People with a deliberative mindset are very good at thinking about what they need to do, whereas people who have developed an implemental mindset have the ability to narrow in on a specific goal or facets of a specific goal. Considering an example from your own life, how might you develop a deliberative or implemental mindset to complement the mindset that you already use?

            The differentiation between implemental and deliberative mindsets comes across as a dual process idea in the area of goal pursuit. A widespread assumption is that the course of goal quest involves the separate task of choosing between potential action goals and supporting the implementation of identified goals. As individuals engage in the tasks diverse cognitive orientations including implemental and deliberative mindsets emerge, which influence not only information processing but also action control (Kunda, 2000). Nonetheless, I would develop deliberative mindset to complement the one already in use. I would achieve this through cultivating a habit of deliberating prior making decisions in my life. This underlines a distinctive element in deliberative mindset, in which the pre-decisional phase sees deliberation of the action (s) needed. In essence, the task of deliberating in one’s life happens in the pre-decisional phase and it involves choosing and or exploring the available options. While choosing, an individual explores diverse whishes as well as desires to arrive at the ones she or he wants to realize. It can be said that one develops a deliberative mindset though utilizing feasibility as well as desirability in the process of selecting the best wishes and desires. It follows that I would develop deliberative mindset by analyzing the chances of realization and the desirability of realization of goals that I want to set in life. For instance, overall, I wish to do well in life and this may see me venture into business even if I get employed. Without a doubt, this will require open-mindedness as well as an analysis of the chances of realization and desirability. This will involve looking into viable employment as well as business venture and the accompanying desirability based on pros and cons identified. In sum, an analysis of the diverse demands of the deliberating tasks leading to doing well in life will be explored.

What is your understanding of the difference between self-efficacy and ability? Is there a difference? Is the difference important?

            Self-efficacy and ability are closely related terms as far as their definitions are concerned, but it must be noted that these two terms also possess elements that can be used to differentiate them. Self-efficacy relates to one’s belief in her or his capacity to undertake behaviors that are needed to bring about performance achievements. In other words, self-efficacy is all about belief in an individual’s capabilities to achieve outcomes (Reeve, 2015). This implies that self-efficacy involves individual’s judgments about their capability to undertake particular tasks. On the other hand, ability relates to individual’s possession of the skills to undertake a task. Often, ability is natural simply meaning that an individual has to have it or otherwise.

The difference between the two terms is crucial especially when real-life situations are explored. As an example, students that posses a strong sense of self- efficacy are increasingly likely to set themselves challenges that have challenging tasks as well as to be inherently motivated. The implication is that such students will have the belief that can be successful, which leads to them making concerted efforts to realize the challenging tasks and or goals. It can be said that the belief that comes with self- efficacy drives an individual to accept challenges in her or his quest to realize even more. Such an outlook towards general life brings out contrast when students relying purely on ability are considered. More so, such persons are less likely to make concerted efforts as they see challenging tasks as threats that test their aptitude. In essence, an individual relying on ability comes across as inelastic and or unwilling to make extended effort to realize goals.

Imagine being a cognitively oriented therapist who has two clients.

            The strategy that would be used to reverse high doubt and replace it with high confidence involves manipulation of self-affirmation to increase client’s perception that he can meet the challenges that college life has to offer. More so, the strategy involving self-affirmation is widely speculated to improve the integrity of the self, which is crucial to building confidence (Arkin et al, 2010). It must be pointed out that the client, in all likelihood, has self-doubts that are contributing to an unwelcome perception of college life. In particular, the client is overly concerned with the overwhelming experience that is college life and he probably does not consider the benefits that come with going to college. It becomes crucial that the strategy utilized seeks to banish unnecessary concerns and doubts and in turn develop high confidence.

In the scenario involving the need for mastery motivation, the best strategy would involve reverse strategy in which she could seek to motivate the boyfriend to up his game in their relationship. This strategy would involve demonstrating or telling the boyfriend that the relationship is going down the drain to provoke the desired reaction from him. She has tried to improve the relationship unsuccessfully leading to her helplessness, which underlines the need for a different strategy leading to the development of mastery motivation. Reverse psychology would see her become persistent, which would serves as the seal of motivation that she is going to influence the boyfriend someday.

Suppose you are a counselor at a summer camp for delinquent pre-teenage boys who lack any occupational aspirations and exhibit antisocial interaction styles. You are having a meeting to brainstorm how to use the possible selves literature to provide these boys with an expanded view of their future selves.   

            It is beyond doubt that the meeting would be a good idea as the boys have what is seemingly a limited view of their future as well as anti-social interaction styles. While it may seem a common characteristic among pre-teenagers to behave in peculiar ways or lack occupational aspirations, they need to placed in an environment in which behavior is modeled and or controlled. It must be noted that even as pre-teenagers this group of boys need to have their minds modeled towards social behavior as well as to be given a rather clearer picture about what future has in store (Hockenbury et al, 2004). In fact, literature has speculated that learning the manner in which to act as well as getting a clearer picture about life is crucial among pre-teenagers and teenagers as it might serve as the motivating factor to model their behavior. Indeed, young persons also need to have a direction to serve as a guiding light in their lives. It follows that a meeting to brainstorm the manner in which to utilize the possible selves literature to provide the youngsters with an expanded future of their future selves is imperative. It might serve as the much-needed eye opener, which may contribute towards the pre-teenage boys changing their attitude as well as view of the world overall. In essence, a brainstorming meeting may see some of them come up with rather constructive views, which may ultimately contribute to altering their behavior as far as interpersonal interaction is concerned. The aim should not only be to show them the bigger picture, but also to seek to identify ways through which their behavior can be modeled to enable them to fit in the society as focused members as well as to cultivate positive interactions.

In the following example, explain why the emotion of fear/terror rather than the physiological need for air is the primary motivator.

            The emotion of fear/terror rather than the physiological need for air is the primary motivator because the kid is squarely focused on putting the sweater over his head. In fact, as the kid tries to put the sweater over his head he is focused on the activity and there is barely a change in the heart as well as respiratory rates. It follows that the sweater being stuck and the kid experiencing a moment of air deprivation disrupts the rhythm of gentle increase in central nervous system, and thus causing an uncomfortable increase in the stimulus to initiate the negative fear or terror affect. In fact, the physiological responses may follow including blood supply being directed to the major muscles as well as eyes freezing on the threat, which helps in coping behavior (Funder, 2010). It must be pointed out that seemingly minor change to the rate of the kid’s central nervous system activity is able to result in fear or terror. It can be said that the action of the sweater being stuck is completely unexpected and it triggers an almost immediate response from the kid as he attempt to react to the situation. Rather than engaging in physiological activities that may see him get air, the primary motivator emerges as the emotion of fear or terror simply because of the psychological triggers that require him to react to the environment or situation he finds himself. Indeed, the stimulus to the kid’s central nervous system makes the kind first experience fear or terror before engaging activities to solve the problem. Perhaps, the emotion of happiness making the kid put his sweater over his head is abruptly changed triggering the affect of fear or terror.

Discuss the "cognition versus biology" debate in the study of emotion.

            Cognitive position holds that humans are a system that is experienced based and thus they react interpretively through assessing the meaning and or personal significance of the emotional stimuli. This insinuates that emotions are an outcome of significant life events leading to cognitive processes. It follows that an individual cannot respond emotionally if they do not cognitively appraise the meaning as well as personal significance of the event

On the other hand, biological position speculates that emotions emanate out of a casual biological core including the sub-cortical brain circuits and others. The understanding is that emotions do and can occur without prior cognitive events, but rather need prior biological events to have happened. As such, biology emerges as the primary factor.

A satisfying resolution to the debate is not forthcoming simply because both cognitive and biological affects are involved in emotions. For instance, when an individual walks into the dark it causes amygdale activation, which becomes fear. This demonstrates that both biological and cognitive events happen almost concurrently to bring about emotions. More so, the brain activity leads that takes place in this example sets off the cognitive as well as biological processes, which collectively create, guide, as well as coordinate the different components of emotions such as feelings. The individual walking into the dark will almost likely feel fearful as both cognitive and biological processes take effect. It does not necessarily mean that she or he has had cognitive or biological experience with the event, which underlines the fact that the two processes bring about emotions.