Looking at the Bigger Picture
The 'Why' and 'How' of Reflecting on
Personal Goals
Dr Warren Mansell
Senior Lecturer
School of Psychological Sciences
Plan
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•
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What is a decision?
What is a goal?
An 8 Step Plan of asking ‘How?’ & ‘Why?’
Summary
What is a Decision?
“Choice made between
alternative courses of action
in a situation of uncertainty”
Just leads to more questions…
What is choice?
Why do we engage in ‘action’?
Why are there alternative actions?
Why are there alternative courses of action?
The Psychology of Goals
• William James (1892) – ‘mentality is
the pursuit of a fixed end through
various means’
• Self-regulatory approaches:
– Began in 1940s with ‘Cybernetics’
– Control engineering in 1960s & 70s (e.g.
Powers et al., 1960; Powers, 1973)
– Self-regulation theory in Psychology –
e.g. Carver & Scheier (1980)
What is a goal?
• Your target – where are you aiming for?
• e.g. the top left corner of the net
• What you perceive – what is going on right now?
• e.g. the ball next to your foot
• The difference between target and what you perceive
• e.g. the distance between the ball & the corner of the net
• The behaviour – to reduce the difference
• e.g. kick the ball
How do goals work?
Negative Feedback
TARGET, e.g. ball
in net
Organism
DIFFERENCE,
e.g. 10m
PERCEPTION,
e.g. Ball next
to foot
DISTURBANCE,
e.g. wind; goalkeeper
BEHAVIOUR, e.g.
kick ball
WHAT IS
CONTROLLED?
e.g. foot position
Environment
Goals are everywhere…
• Balancing:
– Target is to remain upright
– Perception is current orientiation
– Behaviour is moving arms & legs
• Getting work experience
– Target is to gain more knowledge
– Perception is what you currently know
– Behaviour is practising the job
What Stops Us Achieving Our Goals?
• The target may be too high
• e.g. going for the corner rather than centre of net
• The person may not focus on what they need to perceive
• e.g. need to focus eyes on corner of net
•There may be a limit in the amount of skill
• e.g. lack of practice shooting at the net
• The environment may be too challenging
• e.g. a very effective goal-keeper
• Another goal may be interfering – confusion; uncertainty
• e.g. want to get your team mate to kick the ball instead;
want to hit the ball in the centre
Seeing the Bigger Picture…
• According to various theories, goals are
organised in hierarchies (Powers et al., 1960)
• Illustration
– What is the current career you are involved in
pursuing? Write this is the centre of A4 page
– Why are you going for this career?
– Why x 2
– How are you pursuing this career?
– How x 2
Example of Goal Hierarchy
To have a good life
To take care of my health
Read regularly
Visit library
To be capable
Complete assignments
Ask lecturer
for help
Type up notes
To have good relationships
Not drink too much
Keep track
of deadlines
Print out in
good time
Method of Levels
• Method of asking questions based on control theory
• Helps people to ‘see the bigger picture’, to talk about
their deeper goals, & how to achieve them
• Used in Teacher training in USA (Good, 2010)
• Evaluated in primary care; associated with reductions in
distress over 3 months (Carey et al., 2009)
• Currently under detailed evaluation (Mansell, 2009)
1. Use a Sliding Scale
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•
•
•
•
•
Now
try it
out!
What is your target?
Draw a line to show the extremes.
Plot where you want to be
Plot where you are right now
Is this what you expect or not?
EVIDENCE: Less extreme thinking predicts
reduced relapse of depression (Teasdale, 2002)
0
No understanding
of being a teacher
1
2
X
Where am I now
3
4
5
6
X
Target for the end
of this course
7
8
9
10
An expert teacher
2: Zoom Out: ‘Why this goal?’
Now
try it
out!
• Notice yourself pursuing the goal
• Ask yourself, why am I pursuing this goal?
• What do I want to achieve for myself, and
people around me?
• EVIDENCE: High level ‘construal’ – ‘Seeing
the wood for the trees’ predicts better self
control (Kentaro et al., 2006)
‘Zoom’ by Istvan Banyai
Now
try it
out!
3: Ask yourself – What Do I
REALLY REALLY Want!
4: Visualise the What You Want
• Try to create a mental
picture of what you want
• Fill in the details
• Give yourself time to
picture it fully
• EVIDENCE: Visualising
goals increases rates of
achievement (Greitemeyer
& Wurz, 2006)
Now
try it
out!
4. Notice New Ideas
Now
try it
out!
• Just notice what comes to mind
• Give yourself time for thoughts to pop into
your head
• Just let it happen!
• EVIDENCE: People trained to be more
‘mindful’ experience less distress (Allen et al.,
2006)
5. Think of Many Ways to achieve
what you want & select one to try
• Ask how will I achieve
what I want
• Generate as many ways as
you can think of
• Imagine doing each, and
select one to try out
• EVIDENCE: Problemsolving training reduces
distress (Nezu et al., 1989)
Now
try it
out!
6. Break it down to Smaller Steps
• What is the first thing I can do?
• Any journey is made of many steps
• How would I know when I make the first
step?
• EVIDENCE: Graded steps towards
facing fears is an effective way of
overcoming them and achieving one’s Now
goals (Lindsay, 2007)
try it
out!
7. IF... THEN… plans
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For your first step, form an IF… THEN… plan
IF… I notice….
THEN… I will….
E.g. “If I see my supervisor then I will ask for some
information about careers in catering”
• EVIDENCE: Making IF… THEN… plans is more
effective in achieving goals than intending to do
them alone (Gollwitzer, 1999)
Now
try it
out!
…Back to the Sliding Scale again
• What was my target?
• What have I achieved?
• Reached target? WELL DONE! Go back to the bigger
picture
• Not reached target?
–
–
–
–
Carry on as planned?
Try to make a smaller step?
Try out another way of approaching the goal?
Think of the bigger picture. Is this what I really want?
Notice your own ideas
Visualise what you
want
Ask yourself what you
really really want!
Look at the Bigger
Picture
Use the Sliding Scale
How is progress?
What is Your Goal?
Think of ways to get what
you want & select one to try
?
Break it down into
steps
?
Make an IF… THEN… Plan
Summary
• Decision-making involves making choices
among goals
• To have a goal, you need to know your target,
your measure of where you are now, and a
means
• Goals are best rated on a sliding scale
• When you are not progressing as fast as you
would like…
Ways of making better decisions…
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Zoom out & look at the Bigger Picture
Ask yourself what you really, really want
Visualise your goals
Generate many ways of reaching your goals,
imagine doing them, and select one
• Break down what you do into smaller steps
• Plan to do things using IF… THEN… rules
• Keep measuring progress using a sliding scale…
Questions please…