![]() |
|
#1
|
|||
|
|||
![]() Quote:
Other people believe they are not at all in control of what happens to them (these people feel like they are merely riding a space ship controlled by a control center far away). It seems to them that external forces, such as other people, fate, luck or chance, are responsible for what happens to them. Such people are "externalizers." At first, it may seem like externalizers would be hopeless, scared, and paranoid. Some are but others are optimistic and blissful because they believe "things happen for the best," life is guided by a kind fate and/or by God's will, or a benevolent God is looking out for them. Many learning theorists, such as B. F. Skinner, believe that forces in the environment (including previously learned response habits based on rewards and punishment) determine what happens in our lives. This eliminates free will (meaning an undetermined choice,one which is of our doing at this moment and not explained by the environment or our past experience). Yet, many if not most people feel as if they make "free" choices and are in control. How could we get the belief that we are directing our lives if everything were determined by external factors (which I don't believe)? Because it "seems like" we are planning and directing our lives, at least some parts of it. I believe that is an accurate perception, but, in addition, research has shown that in certain circumstances there is a remarkable tendency to believe we are in control when we aren't. For instance, Langer sold $1 lottery tickets. One half got a randomly selected ticket; the other half got to select their own ticket. Then she asked them how much they would sell their ticket for. The first group would take on average $1.96. The second group wanted an average of $8.67, presumably asking much more because they believed it was more likely to win. So it is quite possible to believe you are in control when you aren't. (And, as we saw in Seligman's helplessness research in chapter 6, the opposite may be true too: dogs and many humans too may believe they are out of control when they aren't. More on this later.) Why might a person believe they have control when they haven't? This view provides hope (of winning the lottery, etc.) and makes the world less scary and more predictable and comfortable. Indeed, considerable evidence suggests we are more effective, more responsible, and happier when we feel we are partially in control, i.e. have made the decisions and carried out the plans for changing things (Deaux and Wrightsman, 1984). But, of course, it is usually impossible to know exactly how much of our good fortune is due to our efforts and how much is due to others, fate, or chance. It is, to some extent, a matter of "beliefs." Obviously the * is messing things up. But I dont know, I would need an expression that stop after the first result. |
![]() |
|
![]() |
||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
find & replace with vba | goodhouse | PowerPoint | 2 | 06-10-2012 12:10 AM |
![]() |
paulkaye | Word | 4 | 12-06-2011 11:05 PM |
![]() |
slayda | Word | 3 | 09-14-2011 02:16 PM |
![]() |
fatso | Word | 2 | 08-04-2011 11:34 AM |
![]() |
shabbaranks | Excel | 4 | 03-19-2011 08:38 AM |