Northwestern Visayan Colleges
Altavas Learning Center
Graduate School
Master of Arts in Education
Major in Educational Management
Term Paper
in
Human Relations in
Educational Management
(Educ. 215)
Submitted by:
KIAN B. CANDELARIO
JERICO P. FRANCISCO
MAEd Students
Submitted to:
Dr. APOLONIO C. PAYBA
Professor
2nd SEM. A.Y. 2024-2025
NORTHWESTERN VISAYAN COLLEGES
ALTAVAS LEARNING CENTER
ALTAVAS, AKLAN
MASTER OF ARTS IN EDUCATION
EDUC 215 – Human Relations in Educational Management
KIAN CANDELARIO
JERICO P. FRANCISCO
Discussants
Dr. APOLONIO C. PAYBA
Professor
TOPIC: Dealing With Personal Problems – Self-defeating Behavior
I. INTRODUCTION
Teaching is intrinsically linked to emotions, affecting both teachers and students. Teachers' emotions
influence their teaching quality, engagement, and student outcomes, while students' emotions impact
their learning and well-being. Research indicates a strong correlation between teachers' emotions and
the quality of their teaching. Positive emotions, like joy and satisfaction, are associated with higher
teaching motivation, better instructional practices, and greater student engagement. Conversely,
negative emotions, such as anger and anxiety, can negatively impact teaching quality, potentially
leading to less effective instruction and lower student engagement. Dealing with personal problems
while teaching can be challenging, but it's important to prioritize self-care and find ways to manage
stress. Acknowledging the impact of personal issues on teaching and making adjustments, like
focusing on core responsibilities and seeking support from colleagues, can help maintain
effectiveness. It's also crucial to be mindful of how personal struggles can affect students and address
their concerns with empathy and understanding.
II. DEFINITION OF TERMS
Stress - a natural, bodily response to situations that feel difficult or overwhelming. It involves
physical and mental reactions to perceived threats or changes that require adjustment.
Distress - an aversive state in which a person is unable to completely adapt to difficult situations
and their effects and shows maladaptive behaviors.
Defense mechanism - an unconscious psychological strategy that people use to protect
themselves from anxiety or emotional distress.
Anxiety - a feeling of fear, dread, and uneasiness. It might cause you to sweat, feel restless and
tense, and have a rapid heartbeat. It can be a normal reaction to stress.
Comfort zone - a psychological state where individuals feel safe, secure, and at ease within their
environment, with low levels of stress and anxiety. It's a familiar space where people don't feel
the need to engage in new or challenging experiences.
III. DISCUSSION
Self-Defeating Behavior
A self-defeating behavior is any counterproductive behavior leading to a lower reward/cost ratio than is
available through an alternative behavior or behaviors. For social psychologists, a self-defeating
behavior is any behavior that normally ends up with a result that is something the person doing the
behavior doesn’t want to happen. If you are trying to accomplish some goal, and something you do
makes it less likely that you will reach that goal, then that is a self-defeating behavior. It is when you
take things too personally that you lose objectivity. Then, when you react or respond to a situation
based on your having been subjective, you compound the problem. There are several self-defeating
behaviors and those are self-handicapping, choosing to suffer, failure to achieve potential, fear of
success, learned helplessness and procrastination.
Stress vs. Distress
Why do some engage in such self-defeating, counterproductive behavior? It is because now and then,
people react in various ways when they are in distress. Distress is different from stress. Stress is good
for a person. It is a driving factor that pushes an individual to their limit and to test their mettle against
their inner battles. When you are under stress, you remain focused on your near and long-term goals.
When stress becomes excessive, it will be overwhelming and cross over into distress. When a person
is in a state of distress, his/her focus will move towards finding immediate relief, making the person
lose his/her grip on the goal they are targeting. If these patterns repeat themselves enough, they
develop into self-defeating behaviors that can become “hard-wired” as part of your personality.
Types of Self-Defeating Behavior
Two Types of Self-Defeating Behavior (Social Psychologists)
1. Counterproductive behaviors
A counterproductive behavior is any behavior that undermines the goals or interests of an
organization. It goes against organizational norms and harms the organization or any of its
members. This happens when an individual uses methods not within the norm or uses extreme
measures just to achieve a goal. Counterproductive behaviors usually occur because the person
has the wrong idea either about himself/herself or about the situation they are in. Teachers or
students in this situation have an incorrect idea about their abilities; they think they can succeed,
but they can’t. These can negatively impact productivity, morale and overall organizational
effectiveness.
Examples of Counterproductive behaviors:
Withdrawal: Actions that minimize effort or engagement, such as absenteeism, tardiness, or
excessive breaks.
Abuse: Mistreating or harassing others, including bullying, sexual harassment, or
workplace violence.
Theft: Stealing organization property or resources.
Sabotage: Intentionally damaging equipment, products, or organization reputation.
Production Deviance: Behaviors that disrupt workflow or reduce productivity, such
as slacking off or taking excessive breaks.
Personal Aggression: Engaging in hostile or aggressive behavior towards
colleagues or supervisors.
Cyberloafing: Using work time for personal activities, such as browsing the internet
for non-work-related information.
Sexual Harassment: Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and
other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature.
Workplace Bullying: Repeated, hostile behavior aimed at intimidating or humiliating
a target.
Substance Abuse: Using alcohol or drugs on the job or during work hours.
2. Trade-offs
The second type of self-defeating behavior is called trade-offs. One example is neglecting to
take care of yourself physically, such as avoiding exercise or going to the doctor. They are
risking their health to either avoid some short-term pain or discomfort (such as the discomfort
brought by exercising or the anxiety that consulting a doctor causes). A self-defeating trade-off
involves making a choice that appears beneficial in the short term but ultimately undermines
one's long-term goals or well-being. It's a situation where an individual prioritizes immediate
gratification or avoidance of discomfort over long-term benefits, often resulting in negative
consequences. Some individuals may engage in self-defeating trade-offs to stay within their
comfort zone, even if it means sacrificing opportunities for growth or success.
Key Aspects of Self-Defeating Trade-offs:
Short-term vs. Long-term:
These trade-offs involve prioritizing immediate benefits over the potential for future rewards.
Negative Consequences:
The choices made in self-defeating trade-offs often lead to setbacks, decreased well-being, or
failure to achieve desired goals.
Underlying Factors:
Various factors can contribute to self-defeating trade-offs, including fear of failure, low selfesteem, procrastination, or a tendency to avoid difficult situations.
Examples:
 Procrastination: Putting off tasks until the last minute can lead to stress, poor quality
work, and missed deadlines.
 Self-handicapping: Creating excuses or obstacles to avoid the risk of failure.
 Avoiding conflict: Suppressing emotions or needs to maintain peace can lead to
resentment and unhealthy relationships.
Theories suggest that self-defeating behaviors are a kind of defense mechanism, fooling people into
thinking that they are coping with stress, pressure, social demands, etc. These behaviors serve as their
comfort zone so that they will not face their problems or fears head-on.
Common types of self-defeating behaviors include:
Physical/mental neglect
social withdrawal/alienation
Self-criticism
refusing help
Self-pity
over-spending
Procrastination
relationship sabotage
Comparing yourself to others
over/under-eating
Self-Defeating Behaviors in Schools
Self-defeating behaviors in education can significantly hinder a student's academic progress and
overall success. These behaviors, often characterized by actions that undermine a student's ability to
achieve their goals, can manifest in various forms, including procrastination, avoidance of tasks, selfhandicapping, and even engaging in risky behaviors. Recognizing and addressing these behaviors is
crucial for educators and support staff to ensure students can reach their full potential.
Self-defeating behaviors in teachers, like procrastination, perfectionism, or negative self-talk, can
hinder their effectiveness and impact student learning. Recognizing these behaviors and implementing
strategies to address them is crucial for both teachers' well-being and their professional development.
Impact on Students and the Teaching-Learning Process:
 Reduced Teacher Effectiveness:
Self-defeating behaviors can lead to a decline in teaching quality, lesson preparation, and overall
classroom management.
 Negative Impact on Student Learning:
When teachers are struggling with their own issues, they may struggle to create a positive and
supportive learning environment for their students.
 Student Disengagement:
Students may become disengaged if they perceive their teachers as unmotivated, stressed, or
struggling with their own challenges.
 Difficulty in Building Relationships:
Teachers who are struggling with self-defeating behaviors may find it difficult to build positive
relationships with students and families.
Overcoming Self-Defeating Behaviors
Start by identifying the behaviors in your life that you feel are getting in the way of reaching your goals.
Insight is an integral part of changing your behavior. Get real and find ways to stop minimizing these
unhealthy behaviors and rationalizing their presence. Examine how a behavior really impacts your life
and how it also affects those around you. Don’t get down on yourself. Being overly critical of yourself or
thinking that you are “weak” creates a worse self-concept, often leading to lower self-esteem and
confidence
Make it harder to act impulsively and practice mindfulness. Focusing on the present can help you to
more readily identify your emotions and the behaviors that are getting in the way of achieving your
goals. Lastly, start to self-reflect. Journaling or keeping a daily log of healthy habits can be a great way
to build positive patterns of behavior.
IV. CONCLUSION
Self-defeating behaviors are actions or patterns of thought that undermine a person's ability to achieve
their goals or maintain their well-being. They often stem from negative self-talk, beliefs, and underlying
emotional issues. Key triggers often include low self-esteem, trauma, and certain mental disorders.
Each of these factors can greatly contribute to patterns of destructive behavior or what we call
counterproductive behaviors. Overcoming self-defeating behaviors involves recognizing and changing
negative thought patterns and actions that hinder personal growth and goals. This includes challenging
negative beliefs, building self-awareness, seeking support, and practicing self-compassion.
V. REACTION
It is part of human nature that we tend to choose actions and thoughts that help us alleviate the stress
and anxiety we feel. However, it depends on us on what type of actions and way of thinking can we
solve the things that give us doubts, fear and helplessness. These things that make us feel distressed
are actually thoughts that are intangible and can be overpowered by optimism and by facing it head-on.
Self-defeating behaviors can only be defeated by oneself. Doing and thinking of things positively can
help us improve ourselves and achieve our ideals. Just like what Warren Buffet said “Everybody here
has the ability to do anything I do and much beyond." This quote emphasizes that everyone has the
potential for success, but it's up to individuals to realize that potential by overcoming self-imposed
limitations and not getting in their own way. The key takeaway is that success isn't solely determined by
innate abilities or intelligence, but also by habits, character, and how people choose to navigate their
own paths.
VI. REFERENCES
https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/self-defeating-behaviour/248311658
https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/self-defeating-behaviours-presentation/930814
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/self-defeatingbehavior#:~:text=Abstract,R.C.%20Curtis