Crisis and the perception of Change and SuccessProf. Donna DeWittSport / Performance Psychologist

Academic Year2009-2010

• Crisis Psychology

• Momentum and Change

• Attribution Theory/Locus of Causality

• Bandura’s concept of Self-efficacy

Crisis & the psychology of the times

• Franklin D. Roosevelt: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”.

• Today: ‘the Next Great Depression’?

• What is a Crisis?

Crisis Psychology

Fear > ‘fight or flight’Negativity> vigilance to dangersPanic > instantaneous action

Crisis mentality

Crisis Psychology

Fear: an emotional response to an unknown or impending danger or as an expectation of evil.

Fear > anxiety and attentional narrowing

‘Looking into the abyss’Fear as a tool to enhance self-awareness

The psychology of momentum & change

Momentum: “A positive or negative change in cognition, physiology, affect, and behavior caused by a precipitating event or series of events that will result in a shift in performance and competitive outcome”.

Momentum. . .Multi-Dimensional Model: ‘Momentum Chain’

a. Precipitating event(s)

b. Change in cognition, affect, and physiology

c. Change in behavior

d. Change in performance consistent with above changes

e. Contiguous & opposing change in the previous factors on part of opponent

f. A resultant change in outcome

Momentum . . .

Experience as an important mediator of momentum..

Experience leads to more clearly defined schemas that enable more sophisticated, efficient, and rapid information processing and, subsequently, more effective cognitive strategies and behavioral responses to momentum.

Momentum and Change

Obstacles to change

1. Negative associations with experience past experiences

2. Fixed paradigms; mental habits

3. Negative emotions

4. Surrounding oneself with a non supportive environment that resists change and adaptation

Fixed paradigms & Negative emotions

Perfectionism

A notion of how things should be based on irrational fears. The more one measures the world according to parameters based upon this notion, the more one will be drawn to those factors that pose a ‘threat’ to this ideal condition.

‘To err is wrong’‘Failure is wrong, success is good’

‘Perfecting’ perfectionist:- Avoids fear of failure/loss of control by exaggerated work, correcting himself continually- demonstrating his worth obsessively to others to avoid being undervalued

‘Failing’ perfectionist:- Avoids fear of failure by never starting anything- Avoids making mistakes by avoiding responsibility

Consequences for dealing with crises?

Fixed paradigms & Negative emotions

Change in practice… Factors that facilitate the process of change:

•Epiphany•Emotions•Courage•Risk-taking•Commitment

Process of change involves:•Identification of obstacles•Establishment/adjustment objectives•Action plan•Judgment (good)•Persistence, Perseverance, Patience

Change and attribution How we deal with crises, failures and success determines the extent to which we are able to adapt to changes and gain awareness of momentum that is to our advantage

Attribution Theory

The multitude of explanations given to explain outcomes can be condensed into just four categories: 1) ability, 2) effort, 3) task difficulty and 4) luck

Weiner’s original attribution model

 

LOCUS OF CAUSALITY

INTERNAL EXTERNAL

STABILITY DIMENSION

STABLE ABILITY TASK DIFFICULTY

UNSTABLE EFFORT LUCK

Locus of Causality

Rotter’s Locus of Control

Take Locus of Control TestScore and Reflect

Self-efficacy

A. People strive to control events that affect their lives- This need permeates everything that we do- Uncertainty in important matters is unsettling

B. People’s level of motivation, emotions and actions are based more on what they believe than on what is objectively true

- Belief that one can produce desired effects provides incentive to act

- Efficacy beliefs are a major source of action/initiative

Albert Bandura (1970’s): “Beliefs in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to produce given attainments”.

Self-efficacy

• A form of self-confidence that involves the appraisal of existing skills in a specific situation

• Raise the duration and strength of effort in aversive situations

• Realistic performance goals facilitate achievement of success, positive appraisal of skills, and motivation

Based on four major sources of information:

Self-efficacy

1. Performance confidence

2. Vicarious experience

3. Verbal persuasion

4. Physiological state of arousal