Discussions

Intro

Greetings,

My name is Bryttni Pugh, and I am a 20-year-old junior graduating in December. I am double majoring in psychology
and in dance with a concentration in performance, choreography, and theory. After years of contemplation, I have
decided that I would like to further my psychology degree post-graduation. I would like to obtain a masters degree in
forensic psychology but am undecided about a specific career choice. I have always had a strong interest in reading
and researching about true crime, and I aspire to work with or along the lines of crime scene investigation or criminal
profiling. My interest in psychology spiked in high school and when I attended George Washington University for a
leadership conference on forensics. I also interned over the summer in Oklahoma at the Jim Taliaferro Community
Mental Health Centre. As for dance, I would love to continue performing and choreographing but do not wish to make
that passion my main career choice; perhaps it could be a second job or simply a fun hobby. I have chosen to acquire
more knowledge in dance and to improve my technique because I have a personal interest in the arts and wanted to
continue to be involved with it.

More personally, I have been engaged to my wonderful fianc for two years, and we have been together for nearly six
years. He is a talented guitar player and general manager. I am quite the introvert who loves to draw and loves horror.
I am also a passionate vegan and animal activist and have been for more than five years. I love to help others adapt to
this lifestyle in an informative manner in order to better their own health, the environment, and the animals. I have
never had an actual job, but I volunteer and am a self-employed pet-sitter. I love what I do! I currently have a
chinchilla, two dogs, and six cats; and, I miss my late mouse, chinchilla, iguana, and two late cats, all of whom I love
very much. They are all rescues and are a huge part of my life!
:)

Chapter One

Although the majority of the chapter was interesting and insightful, the first few pages of the chapter were definitely
intimidating as I am rather unfamiliar with work motivation and I/O psychology. I am not personally interested in this
specific focus of motivation and psychology, but I believe that I should learn this information as it could be quite
useful for my future working self. Now this chapter has me thinking, why am I motivated to learn a topic that I am
not particularly interested in? Hmm.

I agree with Frederick Winslow Taylor in that employees should be paid substantial bonuses for goal/task attainment
as monetary compensation leads to employee satisfaction (page 14). Does this mean that employees should have the
ability to obtain a bonus or that employees should be guaranteed the bonus? I believe that employees should be
guaranteed a bonus because my fianc only gets a bonus if his workers scores (when their work is graded by my
fiancs boss) are within a certain range and if certain numbers (i.e. labor) are reached. I have seen him lose a hefty
bonus because one of his workers was given a score a few points below what he needed. It felt as if my fianc worked
overtime every day for nothing, and he had to endure the consequences and struggle to pay bills. Even though his
teachings may be reflected in the work his workers put forth, the employee still chooses whether or not to apply the
training and skills he or she was taught, as discussed on page 4.

The teacher also needs to use his or her resources wisely and communicate [his or her] knowledge in memorable
meaningful ways in the classroom (page 4). I was nodding my head yes so much as I read this statement because the
way the instructor teaches can motivate me either positively or negatively. I had a science teacher in eighth grade who
made raps to help us remember information, was always friendly, incorporated games into the lectures, and always
had fun demonstrations using different chemicals. I was able to retain much of the information, and I found myself
not complaining or stressing out about the work given. I was more motivated in that class than I was in my dance
history class where the routine instruction always included reading and writing essays. Generally speaking, I am not
particularly interested in strict science or history, but the way the instructor uses his or her resources can be valuable
and can stimulate my desire to continuously improve or stimulate me to dread the next class.
There may be common ground on what motivates people, but I believe that everyone is a little different when it comes
to what motivates that particular person. Therefore, in the workplace, I value (but dont rely on) introspection, like
James, and personality, unlike Drucker. In dance studios and classes I have to constantly reflect on, examine, and
observe myself. My instructors even advise writing journals every day. This can be helpful when trying to understand
the relationship between traits and underlying motives and the factors that influence choices (page 9). I disagree
with Drucker in that an employer has no business with a mans personality because I think personality can help
shape the workplace (page 6). If only performance were valued, then the workplace would seem boring, monotonous,
and robotic. I would think that Id only be working for money, and it would be wasting my time. Monetary
compensation is a key motivator but should not be the only motivator. Being paid can motivate me to petsit, but I
genuinely love taking care of animals; so, being able to hang with them all day also motivates me.

For concluding thoughts and questions, I would like to note that I found it a bit shocking to see how much people
rejected each others thoughts and ideas. I dont believe the thoughts of Freud, James, or the behaviorists should be
discarded. They each contribute an idea worth considering and investigating no matter how absurd they may sound to
one another. On another note, does the equation job performance = ability x motivation or any of the information
in the chapter account for mental issues? Latham did not expand much on the concept, so I wonder if this is a general
equation that is to be applied to people as a whole or to individuals. I know my level of anxiety makes it difficult for
me to be quickly motivated and leads to a spiral of unpleasant thoughts, which feels like it affects my performance
and ability. I would love to agree with Dr. Blanchard when she states that slow and persistent movement is a better
indicator of the strength of motivation than quick movement. I will definitely need to remind myself of this because I
know I am motivated, as I have plenty of goals, but I feel as if being so slow about achieving most of them (like
homework) is not good. Finally, are there ways in which you can stabilize or increase motivation if it goes down (say,
due to stress or burnout)? And, is everyone capable of being motivated?

Replies
Hi Jane!

I agree that each viewpoint is an acceptable way of viewing motivation. I found myself saying "ooh" after reading
each argument because they could all have a contributing force to motivation. I could not completely disagree with
anyone or discard anyone's ideas. Like you say, one route does not explain behavior. If it did, that would just be too
easy! I am in agreement with Freud, too, but I don't think that motivation solely stems from the unconscious. I think
people have multiple motivators for various things. Perhaps people are unaware of how or why they are motivated to
do something but are completely aware of how or why they are motivated to do something else. Biology can definitely
contribute to one's motivation. I believe that I have motivation quite similar to my dad and grandpa. Freud also said
that motivation is sexually based and, knowing that sex is a part of human nature, I can't necessarily disagree. You
say that motivation can't be controlled, but can it be altered? Also, I can see how one's performance would be
negatively affected if a company couldn't afford to give that person a bonus. However, a bonus is additional money. I
don't think one should rely or base his or her performance on that extra money.

Hi Rebecca!

I, too, disagreed with the ones who said to discard Freud's ideas. Although there was a lack of empirical studies on his
ideas, that does not mean his contributions aren't worth considering and exploring. His beliefs may not be "proven,"
but they aren't "disproven" either - "proven" meaning supported. Psychoanalysis can be science and not just art or
philosophy because the book states that one of Freud's theories is "consistent with a vast body of scientific literature"
(page 8). Page 9 states that behavior can't be changed by only talking to a therapist. I completely agree with you that
behavior can be changed by a therapist and with a given practice. However, I interpreted it as there are other factors
that contribute to behavioral changes, perhaps ones such as medication, extracurricular activities, personal interest to
change, or some kind of action. On another hand, these other factors may be included or worked on in the therapy
session, so therapy is certainly, in my opinion, important, helpful, and a nice starting point. I think reward is a powerful
contributor to motivation as well, especially if the task you need to complete is stressful or not of your interest. Perhaps
the reward can keep people from becoming angry for doing something that was difficult or time consuming or boring.
I would also like to know what else can motivate someone besides money/reward, especially in the short-term; I don't
get paid to do school work!
Chapter Two

I found much of the information presented in this chapter to be interesting but not surprising. Most of the findings
made sense to me as if they could be or should be common sense; but, sometimes common sense isnt all that
commonly known or thought of until its written down and further explained. Wyatt, Fraser, and Stock found that
changing jobs at specific intervals reduced monotony, and changing tasks every 1.5-2 hours allows employees to
produce their best work (page 20). I have no reason to disagree with their findings because I can relate. I can focus on
only one task for so long before I get bored or frustrated and Ill end up working slower and not be as motivated
as I was when I began the task. I have to switch my attention to a new task after a little while in order to be more
productive. The interval the book provided made me think of the sleep cycle. Each cycle is 90 minutes, and one can
feel more refreshed if he or she completes however many cycles of 90-minute intervals. Perhaps one can feel more
refreshed or more able to produce good quality work because of this similar interval. The same researchers also found
that boredom can be reduced by creating definite aims, which is practically goal-setting (20). I believe this can
definitely reduce boredom, but I dont think people produce the best work here as they may be too focused on trying
to achieve the goal they set instead of focusing on the quality of their work. I know this is related to factory workers,
but I still relate to it with my schoolwork and petsitting work.

Other findings that I find to be relatable include: urging people to do their best led to the highest performance (19),
people will be most effective if the task or job is adjusted to an individuals level of skill and ability (19), people enjoy
feeling worthy and respected (17), and that people prefer a superior who guides rather than commands (25). Of course
people want to be recognized and respected at work; thats part of being human. In dance classes I feel more motivated
to improve my technique or create new work if the instructor respects me and recognizes the effort I put forth. Same
goes for adjusting the task to my level of skill and ability. I dont believe that everyone is on the same level because
we differ in interests, intelligence, and in how quickly we complete tasks. If one is new to a task, itd be wrong to
expect he or she to perform at an advanced level; if one is familiar with a task, itd be wrong to expect he or she to
perform at a beginner level. I definitely prefer a superior, whether it be a boss or parent or instructor, to guide me
rather than command me to do something. I am more motivated to complete a task or goal when I am guided because
I feel like I have a bit more flexibility and independence than if I was strictly told to complete a task. Its like advice
people are trying to help you, not tell you what to do; you wouldnt listen if they told you exactly how to handle
something. Theres some sort of feeling of resistance or rebellion that comes about when I am commanded to do
something. Lastly, I completely agree that urging people to do their best will lead to the highest performance. My best
can completely differ from someone elses best. It makes more sense for me to be more motivated when I can perform
to the best of my ability rather than try to complete a task that may be more difficult for me to reach than for others.
It makes me feel better and less of a failure when I can shape the task to my individuality.

I found that money not being of the upmost importance in this chapter to be quite unusual because rewards, especially
monetary ones, were focused on in the last chapter. These two chapters contrast completely, but the second chapter
resonates with me more. Although I personally believe that money isnt the number one motivator, I was surprised to
learn that money was ranked as 21st in importance. I did not realize that it was that far down the line. I also find it
interesting that peoples behavior changes when they are being watched, also known as the Hawthorne Effect. I
understand that one may feel more pressured, shy, or feel the need to impress when others watch, but I always found
it interesting that one just simply cant perform the same. When I am performing on the stage, my dancing may differ
in some ways than when I was in rehearsal. But why must I change my behavior because there is an audience? No
matter what the work, if someone is giving my work attention, there is a sense of being judged or a fear of messing
up or a fear of not showing my best work. Overall, the motives discussed in this chapter are rather relatable, and I
wish every superior knew the ways or motives that lead people to produce the best work.

Replies
Hi Alanna!

I can relate to the trend you point out. I really want to participate in jobs that I like or else I feel like I'm wasting my
time and that the job won't benefit me. If I am passionate about something, I definitely want to strive in it and feel
worthy in the field. If I'm not given any recognition, then I'll begin to question why I'm here doing this job. I agree
that recognition incentives feel very rewarding. I'm not sure about replacing money with them, but implementing them
into the workplace more would be beneficial. I don't think people get recognized as much as they should be, especially
if they are striving or doing their best, but incentives should not be overdone. Of course, incentives shouldn't be the
only motivator or reason for someone to enjoy the job. Your suggestion about focusing on how to make employees
better at what they do seems very logical and more advantageous in the long run. Employees should obtain the right
skills in order to perform well and then receive an incentive for the work they produce. If everyone got rewards for
whatever work they produced, then why would the job matter?

Hi Broneicia!

I completely agree with the fact that changing a task every so often would increase one's attentiveness and interest. I
don't know what I could focus on for more than 1.5-2 hours at a time. Why do we get bored so easily though? And,
with our increasingly short attention span due to advancing technology, will this interval be shortened in the future?
Employees should never have to feel scared to express themselves, their feelings, or their thoughts. If they were, I
think work would feel very robotic and workers would not enjoy the job or the work environment. I also agree with
your statement on successful employees relating to a higher morale. It just doesn't seem logical for an unsuccessful or
struggling worker to be confident. If anything, I'd be more anxious and sad to know I wasn't successful. Succeeding
gives one confidence because they know they can achieve something. Urging people to do their best seems to be the
most effective way to get people to perform well. Their best could be the standard, but only that person knows what
their best truly is, which can be advantage in the workplace.

Chapter Three
There is an abundance of information within this chapter, but there are a few items that I can say I agree or disagree
with. I do not believe the inference that states that one who is highly productive is also one with positive attitudes
toward his or her job is always true. I am highly productive when it comes to my school work, but I am not optimistic
about or proud of every piece of work that I have to complete. I am highly productive when it comes to petsitting, and
I am very happy and optimistic about that job. I can understand how the two are correlated, but I do not think that they
apply to every worker or to every job. Originally, I was surprised to read that there was little to no relationship between
performance and satisfaction. I thought that if one performed well, then one could be satisfied; and, I thought that
maybe I just wasnt satisfied yet. As I began to connect my original thought with my experience, I realized that the
small correlation holds true. These two variables are not causal or completely related. It is not unusual to have instances
of both performing well with satisfaction and performing well with no satisfaction.

I state this on a continuum of no satisfaction to satisfaction because I strongly agree with Herzberg that job satisfaction
and job dissatisfaction are on two continua instead of one. Not being satisfied may not always mean that I am
dissatisfied. I may not be pleased with my improvisation during class, but that does not mean that I am dissatisfied
with the spontaneous movement that I have created. Perhaps with more time, I could make this improvisation into
carefully constructed choreography and then be satisfied with it. On another note, I agree that pay should be a way to
minimize job dissatisfaction. If you pay someone just to satisfy them, the effort he or she puts forth will not be great
and may result in a poor performance. The quality of the work may be lost if one simply expects pay to satisfy him or
her.

I agree with the goal-setting theory in that setting specific higher goals lead to a higher performance than if you had
no goals or abstract goals. I find myself performing well in school if I strive for As. If I tell myself to do my best, I
may not try as hard because only I know what my best is, meaning I could fool someone if I truly wanted to. I do not
exclude abstract goals altogether because they could result in a high performance; but, specific high goals may result
in a higher performance. Obviously, if I have no goals at all, my performance will not be high. However, I think its
hard to not set goals. I can set goals without intentionally trying to set them. For example, I can attend my dance class
and subtly tell myself to focus because I know I am tired. Well, that is a goal to focus in class. The only downfall I
have personally experienced with this theory is that my goals and performance have been accompanied by high levels
of stress, anxiety, and sleep deprivation. I find it important to note that goals include the elements of choice,
persistence, and cognition. I have the choice to set whatever goals I want, I tend to find the energy (although sometimes
can be hard to maintain) to put forth my best effort, and I have to critically think about how to achieve the goals I
want. I believe this is especially relevant to college students working to get to their desired careers. I know that
cognition has been debatable thus far in Lathams text and the history of work motivation, but I believe that it is a
rather significant component or possible driving force of motivation. Even behaviorists stumbled upon cognition; not
everything is directly observable. I also found it interesting that identical environmental consequences can have
different behavioral effects depending what one is led to believe. I pondered on the last phrase what one is led to
believe. This statement shows me how powerful cognition is.

Replies
Paris,

I did not think there was a lot of information regarding Theory X and Theory Y, but there was enough for me to think
as you did. I can see how Theory X management would be quite ridiculous to deal with because they seem to believe
that people don't care about the organization. I would think that if one gets the job, then he or she would care for the
organization. People who simply want to be the boss are immature in my eyes. I believe a manager should value his
or her employees and allow them to be self-directed and self-controlled, like Theory Y. I agree with you that these
types of managers will create a balanced work atmosphere. I also think that the workers will enjoy work more if they
have a boss that emphasizes individuality.

Shakaela,

I also was not motivated to read this chapter, especially since it is heavily filled with unfamiliar information. It is
evident that one theory leads to another, but I think that one theory actually branches into many theories. There is so
much information one theory provides, that it is easy to push away or focus on select information in a next theory.
I found myself disagreeing with Hawthorne's conclusion. Perhaps the sleep one sacrifices or the stress one endures in
order to be productive may lead someone to not have a positive attitude towards his or her job. I originally thought
that the correlation would have been higher, but I later thought that his conclusion does not seem to apply to everyone
or to every job.

Chapter Four

I suppose I am just not a fan of how Latham writes as he is rather wordy and gives an abundance of detailed
information. I know he is enthusiastic about his work, but he should consider focusing on the main elements of the
theory and eliminating the redundant or filler information unless I just needed to take the I/O psychology course in
order to fully understand his content. I have been trying to study for the test throughout the week, but I am finding
uncertainty in my confidence level. There are numerous theories to memorize, and I understand them; but, I am not
sure how much detail I need to know about each. I will let the test guide me, and hopefully it will clarify the necessary
components of each theory.

I find the four aspects of organizational justice (distributive, procedural, deontic, and interactional or interpersonal) to
be highly important for any work setting, including school. I have had instructors pick favorites, be unfair, be insincere,
and not grade assignments fairly, and it is frustrating to have to simply deal with their inappropriate choices. I think it
is easy for leaders or managers to choose favorites, which violates interpersonal justice, because they tend to stick
with the ones they can connect with best. It is okay to prefer one worker to another, but that shouldnt mean to treat
them on different levels. I have had a dance instructor here have obvious favorites (i.e. always made them demonstrate,
were extremely nice to them, or gave them wonderful resources), and the rest of the class seemed to be neglected.
Other students werent corrected as much or werent given necessary adjustments or criticism that would be beneficial
to them. I have had another instructor distribute grades unfairly (at least in my eyes) because of poor procedural justice.
The rules or rubrics to follow were so vague (i.e. had clear content) that it felt like the instructor purposefully gave
herself flexibility when grading. Of course, I would like to have specific rubrics to follow such as those in this class
so that there is no unnecessary room for the grader. But what about speaking up? What about a voice? I believe it is
nice to have a voice, but I dont feel like I have the right justice when my voice is overheard and not taken into
consideration. Sometimes I think the instructors want the students to use their voice just because they think it is fair
not because they actually want to hear what the students have to say.

Other content that resonates with me includes the goal limitations. Focusing on one goal may result in the neglect of
another goal. When there are two or more goals, you may have goal conflict. When focusing on the quantity, you may
neglect the quality. Focusing on your goal may result in you being less likely to help others achieve their goal. All of
these are so important to note, especially with my school work. I have way too many assignments within each week.
If I focus on completing a paper, I wont try to find ways to focus on completing my readings. I have anxiety to the
max when I have this extensive amount of work for all my courses, so I try to prioritize my assignments for a given
day to avoid a lot of conflict. It is obvious that the amount of work I focus on completing may result in neglected
quality for some assignments. I just did not think about not being able to help my friends or significant other on their
goals when Im too focused on mine. Perhaps that explains why Im not good at giving advice

Replies
Abryanna,

I think it is important to turn each task into one full of meaning and purpose, even the ones that we aren't that fond of.
I can connect with the content better and perhaps perform better if the task is more personal. I find cognition to be
really powerful and a better driving force for our actions rather than just acting to produce action. The outcome
expectancies and the self-efficacy in the social cognitive theory prove how powerful our thoughts are. If I don't believe
that I can get an A on an assignment, then will I really perform well enough? If I don't believe that I can dance in any
given space, then will I really consider myself a good dancer? I think feedback is so important, whether it be positive
or negative. I like to know my progress because the instructor or manager may see your work differently than you do.

Julian,

I love that statement - you can't complain about what's on your plate if your goal was to eat. I can't exactly complain
about the work load I have because my goal is to obtain the two degrees I've signed up for. Of course I'll still complain,
though. Ha. I definitely agree that there is a lot to remember, and I am not even sure what all I have to remember.
Latham incorporates so much detail in his text, but I think I get the general idea of the theories (or so I hope). I'm as
ready as I can be, too; good luck!

Chapter Five
I did not find this chapter as interesting or easier to understand as others did. Latham continues to be wordy and
lengthy in his descriptions. I found the information within this text to be understandable, though. Money is stated to
be the primary incentive for engaging in efficient/effective behavior. I do not find that surprising because money is
the main reason I work. (I just happen to love what I do - petsit.) Many times I know that I have to perform well or I
am expected to perform well because I am getting paid for it. I agree with the fact that the prime element is to enjoy
feelings of worth, recognition, and respect. I can get paid all day, but I will not be as motivated if someone is rude to
me or if I am not appreciated in some form.

I found it interesting that money can kill one's intrinsic motivation. It is odd that money can be both beneficial and
detrimental to one's motivation. I can relate to the drawing example Latham gave because I had a similar experience.
I loved drawing in my free time, but I soon related drawing to work because I was being asked to do so (either for
money or for grades). I lost interest and motivation in drawing in my leisure time because I no longer felt like I was
drawing out of intrinsic motivation. You just become tired of it when the incentives are being used to get you to
repeatedly perform the same behavior. I value intrinsic motivation more than extrinsic motivation, although they can
go hand-in-hand; but, ultimately I am more motivated to engage in activities (and perhaps perform well) if I find
interest or enjoyment in them.

Lastly, I find subgoals to be important especially when, as Latham states, the environment is characterized by high
uncertainty. I think it can be very overwhelming to be uncertain on how to reach a goal, and setting subgoals to help
with the process of achieving the large goal can enhance the clarity and certainty of the main goal. I am currently
setting subgoals in order to reach my main goal of working in the field of forensic psychology. I honestly believe that
it is nearly impossible to not set subgoals, especially throughout college, because there is a lot to achieve in order to
believe one has had a fulfilling life.
Replies
Halle,

I completely understand the loss of interest in Latham's explanations. They can become too lengthy and unfocused. I
believe that all of the chapters thus far could have been a lot shorter if he would have just got to the point of the theory
or idea rather than explain it in many ways, becoming redundant and boring.
I definitely relate to your personal experience. Once someone tells me to do something or finish a task, I tend to lose
motivation and often just get irritated. Perhaps I become too overwhelmed or I just do not react well to others telling
me get a task done. I have to be intrinsically motivated in order to be productive or in order to perform well.

Erica,

I agree that the focus on characteristics instead of various theories was more interesting to read. I definitely judge my
motivation on how I behave, but sometimes I can misjudge that. I found it odd that external rewards will decrease
personal interest because we often look forward to those rewards and end up losing what is typically enjoyable or
interesting to us. I think similarly about the consistent rewards as you mentioned. We look forward to having a steady
paycheck, for instance, yet we unfortunately lose motivation because the reward just decreases in value.

Chapter Six
The emphasis on needs was interesting because I don't think I have ever attempted to understand a simple concept in
such depth. Needs are quite inclusive (pleasure, pain, psychological, physiological, etc), but I did not think of them as
the starting point of motivation. I suppose it makes sense because if you have a need that should be fulfilled, then you
will start finding a way, or a motivator, to satisfy that need. I agree with Wicker, Brown, Wiehe, Hagen, and Reed that
a "greater deficiency in a need increases one's intentions to act on the need even if one does not give it a high
importance rating" (133). When there is a need in need of attention, one shifts his or her attention to satisfy that need,
even if it is not that important to him or her. I relate to that quite a bit with hunger or fatigue. I could be in the middle
of an assignment that I value as important, and hunger or fatigue will take over, causing me to lose my concentration
on the assignment until I eat or sleep. I feel like physical needs are easier to satisfy than psychological ones, though,
but that could just be how I value my needs; people prioritize their needs differently. Starting a few years ago, I
prioritized my psychological needs but somehow began to neglect my physical needs (i.e. leading me to sleep
deprivation). I recently began to prioritize my physical needs but then my physiological needs went unsatisfied. I've
found it hard to prioritize them, so I think that they all always need attention but depend on the situation.

I thought that the social categorization theory was important to note because individual and group identities differ and
are beneficial on both personal and societal levels. However, I personally find the self-esteem theory to be rather
important (and potentially tied to the social or self categorization theory). Self-consistency is a part of this theory,
stating that "individuals will be motivated to perform on a task or job in a manner which is consistent with their self
image" (137). The self-image is how one views himself or herself; it does not necessarily have to be true or good. For
instance, if I forgot to pay the meter at a parking spot, I could view myself as a delinquent. I believe that I could start
performing tasks as a delinquent and perhaps acting worse throughout time because I seem to want to perform as I am
labeled. I think that you can miss a lot by performing how you view yourself. You may not perform to your
best potential. Of course, having higher views of yourself or a higher self-esteem can boost your motivation and make
you perform better than those with low self-esteem; but, I think that it can come off as cocky, and I think that those
with low self-esteem can perform just as well - they may just not think it. I say that mainly because I have low self-
esteem but seem to perform way better than I thought I could.

Lastly, the socioanalytic theory had an interesting point: personality should be defined from the perspectives of both
the person and the observer. I typically thought that your personality was how you personally defined it, but I've
noticed that others have shaped my personality and my views of my own personality. The inclusion of both points of
view makes the description of one's personality more authentic than if only one side were to describe it. Loosely
speaking, I could state that my personality is 'better' or 'worse' than it actually is, but the observers can help me properly
find and describe my personality. I truly find that part of the theory to be a significant insight as it helps with one's
identity and reputation.
Replies
Elizabeth,

I found a lot of interest in the self-esteem theory as well. I know that it makes sense for a person with low self-esteem
to not perform as highly as someone with high self-esteem, but I do not think that it is always true. I totally understand
that if you don't feel confident at the work you are doing, then you won't do your best. However, I've been finding
that, even though I have low self-esteem, I can still perform well or perhaps better than I expected. I'm not sure why
or if I'm perceiving something wrong or if I have some hidden trait that I'm in denial of, but sometimes I perform
better than someone who is always optimistic or someone who is cocky. Even if that's the case, my super awesome
self-critique says that it was probably luck, a coincidence, or an incorrect perception. Hmm.

Mary,

I agree that connecting motivation to the social category in which one identifies with is interesting. I think we are all
in need of boosting our self-esteem and are motivated to do so whether we are aware of it or not. Groups seem to help
satisfy that need as we become so connected with them that we start to commit to them, value them, and do what we
can to boost our group's status. That in turn can boost our self-esteem, in my opinion. I also find it interesting how
Latham never says that group boundaries are permeable or impermeable, but he says that one views them as such. I
find it odd that one can view a boundary as impermeable even if he or she can permeate across that boundary. I think
it really shows how powerful our perception is and powerful a group identity can be.

Chapter Seven
I have typically enjoyed personality tests and models as I find it interesting to see what traits comprise my
individuality. However, I have to agree with Bandura when he states that the Five Factor Model appears to be a "one
size fits all" approach and that the five traits are more associated with behaviors. Shrinking personality to five
overarching traits (or behaviors) may not be appropriate as there are traits missing like narcissism, but I suppose that
is why it is referred to as the Big Five. I believe it is a nice model to have and to draw inferences from because it can
still provide an individual with information relative to him or her and with understanding relationships between the
traits and achievement or stress tolerance. As for the traits being behaviors, I don't disagree because I think that traits
can be behaviors and behaviors can be traits.

I thought that the regulatory focus theory was quite interesting. I believe that I have more of a prevention focus
interspersed with a promotion focus. I have a fear of failure, so I frequently try to avoid an encounter with failure. But,
at the same time, I am eager to pursue and succeed in order to avoid those failures. I am rather vigilant and cautious
when trying to attain a goal as I am yearning to attain the goal. I thought about these foci in terms of schoolwork,
which mixes the two. I often feel like the goal of graduating college with a high GPA is an obligation or something I
must attain because members of my family have always had high expectations for me and want me to excel in the
academic world in order to be prepared for and to obtain a well-paid career. I often think of the work that I do as
assignments that I have no choice in doing, while thinking that I cannot fail by any means. Other goals that are still
academic-oriented, such as wanting to go to graduate school to obtain a master's degree in forensic psychology, seem
to have more of a promotion focus because it is a goal that I genuinely want to pursue and I want to feel that success
and growth. Luckily, job performance often requires both foci, and I feel confident that I am able to handle both.

I believe it makes sense that a prevention focus is elicited by an error-detection task and a promotion focus is elicited
by a creative task. As I dance and choreograph (which is a creative task), I definitely focus on succeeding and growing
in my performance quality and ability to choreograph. I would be doing the bare minimum (or would appear as if I
don't want to be a dancer) if I felt obligated to dance or if I were to focus on simply not failing. That's why I believe
there must be overlap between the two foci. I may be more focused and may value the work more with a prevention
focus if my instructor stresses minimizing the errors; I may be more focused and may value the work more with a
promotion focus if my instructor stresses improvement, learning, and growth. I have been able to learn and
fix movement in dance through both. I have been able to fix the shape of my feet in ballet when I was told what not to
do, and I have been able to learn a new technique when I was told what to do. These foci are situational and could be
applied simultaneously, in my opinion.
Replies
Brandon,

I agree that optimism is powerful and eye-catching. It certainly makes sense to me that I will have more motivation,
and interest, if I approach the task in a positive manner. For me, that is very difficult to do and I give kudos to those
that can approach work that way. I can sometimes become more positive as I complete the task, like a research paper,
but being optimistic takes a lot of energy and strength to maintain.

Broneicia,

I always question how reliable and accurate my answers are in a self-report measure, so I understand your uncertainty
when viewing your results. However, the results still say something about oneself, which is still interesting to read
and discover. I've wanted a close family member or friend to take one of the scales, too, but in terms of me so that I
have two perspectives of myself - who I think I am and who others think I am.
Nature versus nurture... when will it end?! I have been one to think that genetics play a role in shaping the person and
his or her behavior, but I personally believe that the environment has a larger role in shaping the distinct qualities or
combination of traits in the individual. I think that there is a lot more unique combinations of environmental influences
that help make the individual one-of-a-kind.

Chapter Eight

I became highly interested in the differences between cultures, like individualism versus collectivism, Westerners
versus Easterners, and how it is important to note the anothers culture when interacting with them. It is evident that I
am an individualist as I embrace the self, prioritize personal goals, can work off competition more than cooperation,
will seek job alternatives when I am unhappy, and am more motivated to work alone than in a group. I have always
valued independence, and I can become less satisfied when having to work in a group, especially in school. Group
projects become my worst enemy as we all think and complete assignments differently. It can be beneficial when
working with a friend, working with one other person, or working with spontaneous instruction (i.e. dance
improvisation) because it is easier to communicate effectively and honestly. However, I usually have to sacrifice,
change, or learn to deal with something in order to work in a group, which can lead me to believe that I am not
performing my best. I can always benefit from a group as there is nothing wrong with a collectivists values and there
can be new areas of growth that can be acquired, but I prefer to work as an individual. I have been in this mindset my
whole life, and the individualistic culture of the USA enhances that. I began to wonder what it would be like to grow
up in a collectivist culture such as Japan. It intrigues me to know that my values could be completely flipped simply
if I were raised in a different country. How would I view the self if I dont really value it?

Social loafing is more common in the West than in the East, which is somewhat comical to me because of its
relatability. When in a group I find it easier to get off task and easier to not put in as much effort than when working
alone. Of course, I always try to put in a lot of effort because I dont want my performance or grade to be negatively
affected by someone else. However, when individual contributions are neglected and the focus is on the groups
output, it is easier to not put forth your best effort. Many times one will have to step up and make up for anothers
lack of effort because that other person sees the divided responsibility as an opportunity to slack off. Interestingly, but
not surprisingly, North Americans polarize alternatives and beliefs and adopt an argumentative approach unlike
Asians. You know how much culture influences you when you realize that believing that there are two sides and
believing that arguing is normal are actually societal and cultural constructs I would love to visit Japan and see what
happens when I offer an opposing view to some idea. Perhaps the Japanese will accept both views equally with no
argument and perhaps I will chuckle and be happy with that.

The example of miscommunication during 9/11 truly shocked me. The Americans and Taliban were incorrectly
interpreting each others statements because neither understood each others cultural context. High-context cultures
communicate with signals whereas low-context cultures like the USA dont do signals which can lead to disastrous
results such as in the loss of lives in the 9/11 attack. How much of that event could have been avoided if we took the
time to understand the Taliban or if we didnt strictly interpret their statements? What if we had used signals? Its
upsetting to know that the attack may have been prevented or lessened if we just understood anothers language and
culture.
Replies
Alden,

I definitely agree that I hadn't really thought about job difficulty increasing due to a newly encountered culture. It
makes sense and should definitely be addressed when a worker knows that a coworker has a different culture. I feel
like our country does not assist others with different cultures in the workplace as much as we should, and I don't think
that others are as educated about the country that they are entering as they should. It would be nice to enlighten each
other about our differences instead of neglecting or scolding them.

Alanna,

I had been thinking that autonomy was almost always beneficial until I read that there are times when it can cause
stress! It is understandable that when one doesn't know what to do or how to do a task, autonomy will create stress as
there is a high cognitive load. That discomfort will just make me anxious and overwhelmed. I had a similar experience
with dance. When I first went into the dance program here, I did not have any tools under my belt to help with my
creativity. I had to improvise for once; I felt stupid and stressed because I was so used to just receiving choreography
whenever I danced. Nearly three years later, I am in a choreography class where I have to improvise again and create
movement myself, and I am able to move in various ways and in ways I did not know I could. It is rather satisfying to
be able to see the growth from when you need to be guided to when you can begin to implement independence within
your work.

Chapter Eleven

Emotional reactions are quite interesting, and I was fascinated by how quickly they occur. Latham states that an
emotional reaction to a psychological or physical event can occur in a time span as short as 300 milliseconds. Super
fast! This makes me believe that ones initial reaction is the most authentic and makes me think about how natural and
instinctual emotions are. Affect doesnt even have to have conscious input and can derive from the emotional
unconscious. Strange that you can be completely aware of your emotional state but unaware of its source. They can
stem from memories or events that you have forgotten about or cant recall and can still be powerful. This makes me
think of when I woke up angry at a friend for no reason. I knew I was angry at them, but I could not figure out why;
perhaps an old memory was lingering around my subconscious or I had a bad dream that I couldnt remember.

I also see why negative emotions are, unfortunately, stronger than positive ones and can last for a rather long period
of time. Negative emotions and experiences love to latch on and override the positive ones. This is my life in a nutshell
I always dwell on the negative emotions and events because they have a great impact on me. Positive emotions and
events are great and have an impact on me as well, but negative ones can quickly erase my positivity. On another note,
I think that it is worth mentioning that you are more likely to commit to your goal if you set it during a positive
emotional state. Yet, I am curious as to why that is when negative emotions are stronger. Obviously, I know that you
will be less motivated and willing to complete a goal when in a negative state, but how come commitment correlates
with a less powerful emotion? How much stronger are negative ones than positive ones? Can the strength vary from
person to person or from situation to situation? Additionally, the insights provided about the disengagement or
abandonment of a goal made a lot of sense. You have negative experiences if you abandon a goal or if you achieve
your goal but have low self-efficacy. I relate to the latter as I usually have a low perceived control and dont give
myself much credit. I usually credit my grades to luck and make myself believe that I am not smart.

I am not particularly interested in organizational justice, but I find the fairness theory to be important. You can evaluate
your bosss unfairness by seeing if there could have, would have, or should have been a better way to approach or
handle the situation. People usually create what if scenarios after experiencing a negative event to judge fairness.
My fiancs boss always calls him in the morning to complain about the restaurant and my fiancs personal life.
There are rare times when his complaints are understandable, and they are primarily unfair and rude comments. He
makes others feel inferior and disrespected. Of course, there are ways in which he could have and should have handled
the situation. For instance, he could not wake my fianc up and yell and could make my fianc aware of his complaints
in a polite tone. Fairness and justice in the workplace, and in general, is significant and should be treated with caution
as some people will retaliate, especially after being laid off. My brother told me that, at his workplace, an employee
was fired and came back later on and shot through the front door, aiming to hurt the boss that had fired him. I believe
that one should always attempt to state their justifications to clarify how he or she was fair and to avoid a bad
misunderstanding.

Replies
Jane,

I was also surprised to learn that emotions were ignored for much of the 20th century. It's hard to pinpoint a reason as
to why they did not want to correlate emotions and motivation, especially when one's behavior can stem from an
emotional state. The psychological contract seems like a informal agreement about common sense. People assume
and expect that they will have a sense of dignity and worth and will gain knowledge and growth. That is common
ground for every workplace. When violated I think it can feel like a personal attack, an act of disrespect, or a breakage
of trust. Even though it is unwritten, I think the employee and employer should talk about it, if possible, to avoid
violations.

Patrick,

Having a particular emotional state at the time of goal setting is certainly interesting and important to note for future
goals. It makes sense that you will continue with a goal because you associate it with pleasant feelings. It's also odd,
but in a good way, that that emotional state will linger around that goal and during the process. I suppose this is why
I can complete a load of homework at a better rate on some days rather than others. If I start my homework in a
pleasant mood, then I will feel more determined and committed to completing it in a timely manner than if I were in
an overwhelmed, stressed, or poor mood.

Chapter Twelve
I wish all of his sections within the book were like those within this chapter. They were quite short and to the point
for once. I am not fond of his rambling nor am I fond of his writing in general. Ha.

The topic of perfectionism definitely caught my attention because I am such a perfectionist - it's not good. I certainly
make unrealistic goals and will fight to reach them. However, sometimes I don't think that they are completely
unrealistic as they are not necessarily impossible. I laughed a bit at the statement about perfectionism may prevent
one from completing assignments in a timely fashion. Oh, the accuracy. Procrastination is the worst, but I feel that I
work best under pressure, even though I may be sacrificing my mental and/or physical health. Additionally, perceived
goal difficulty is positively correlated with performance and emotional exhaustion. This makes me wonder how bad
perfectionism really is because I love a high performance; and, if my goal difficulty is high as a perfectionist, why
would I want to change that and risk my performance? Hm. Obviously, emotional exhaustion is no fun, but I have the
thought that emotions can be brought back and one can bounce back from exhaustion; performance, perhaps on an
exam, is limited to one chance.

I found the three core variables of attribution theory (locus, stability, and controllability) to be quite interesting as
well. I often attribute my failures to myself and successes to external factors, which is the complete opposite of an
optimist. I wish I could be resilient in the face of failure, but I usually just freak out. Perhaps I should incorporate
learned optimism into my daily life. I've always said that I wanted happiness, including purpose, engagement, and
positive emotion, so I suppose I need to try that; then, I could prevent my mental health from deteriorating as I age.

Replies
Tori,

I agree that it is strange that optimists blame their failures on environmental factors. Maybe avoiding self-degrading
comments due to failures allows them to be happier. I don't think they like to own up to their mistakes because reality
would set in; and, they would not like to think that they are the cause for any mess-ups in life. Pondering about that, I
would like to say that you can be so optimistic that you could be narcissistic and cocky.
Jane,

I would also like to know more about the increase in self-efficacy due to changing dysfunctional self talk. I have a
low self-efficacy, so more details on the process could likely help my personal struggles.
I personally do not like evolutionary psychology. I'm not really sure if I have read enough research to believe that
there are these underlying genetic factors that predispose people to think, learn, and behave. I understand that there
can be behaviors and processes linked to genes, but I'd have to read more into it.