Seeing Our Futures Through Self-Efficacy, Optimism, and Hope

Vocabulary flashcards covering major constructs, theories, measures, and neurobiological terms from the chapter on self-efficacy, optimism, and hope.

What isBandura's concept of Self-Efficacy?

It is an individual's belief in their own capability to organize and successfully execute the actions required to produce desired achievements or outcomes in a specific task or situation.

How does Social Cognitive Theory explain human behavior?

Developed by Bandura, this framework posits that people actively shape their lives through a dynamic interplay (reciprocal interactions) between their thoughts, behaviors, and environmental influences.

Differentiate between Outcome Expectancies and Efficacy Expectancies.

Outcome expectancies are beliefs about what consequences or results will occur if a specific behavior is performed. In contrast, Efficacy expectancies are beliefs about one's own ability or competence to successfully perform the actions needed to achieve that desired outcome.

What is the Situational Perspective on self-efficacy?

This view emphasizes that self-efficacy is highly domain-specific, meaning an individual's belief in their capabilities can vary significantly across different tasks, activities, or contexts. For example, someone might have high self-efficacy for academic tasks but lower self-efficacy for social interactions.

How does the Trait Perspective define self-efficacy?

The trait perspective suggests that some individuals possess a more general and cross-situational sense of efficacy, indicating a stable, inherent belief in their overall competence that extends across various life domains, rather than being limited to specific situations.

What does Collective Efficacy refer to?

Collective efficacy is the shared belief within a group that they can collectively work together effectively to organize and execute the actions necessary to achieve common goals. It reflects the group's confidence in its combined capabilities.

Explain Learned Optimism as proposed by Seligman.

Seligman's model of Learned Optimism describes a cognitive style where people have a tendency to explain negative events using an adaptive attributional style, characterizing setbacks as external (not their fault), variable (temporary), and specific (not pervasive across their life). This helps buffer against feelings of helplessness.

What is Dispositional Optimism (Scheier & Carver)?

Dispositional optimism, as conceptualized by Scheier and Carver, refers to a stable, trait-like tendency for individuals to generally expect good outcomes rather than bad ones across various life situations. It's a fundamental outlook on life.

What is the purpose of the Life Orientation Test–Revised (LOT-R)?

The LOT-R is a shorter, six-item version of the original Life Orientation Test designed to measure an individual's dispositional optimism. It was refined to reduce overlap with measures of neuroticism, focusing more purely on positive and negative expectancies for the future.

Describe the Best Possible Selves Intervention.

This is a cognitive exercise often used to enhance optimism, involving individuals writing about or vividly imagining their ideal future selves and lives. This practice has been shown to increase positive affect and promote a more hopeful outlook.

What is Unrealistic Optimism, also known as Optimism Bias?

Unrealistic optimism is a cognitive bias where individuals tend to underestimate their personal risk for negative events (e.g., illness, accidents) or overestimate their likelihood of experiencing positive outcomes, even when presented with clear evidence to the contrary.

How do Pathways Thinking and Agency Thinking relate to Hope?

According to Snyder's theory of hope, hope is goal-directed thinking that comprises two main components: Pathways thinking refers to the perceived capacity to generate workable routes or strategies to achieve desired goals, while Agency thinking is the motivational belief in one's ability to initiate and sustain movement along those chosen pathways toward goals.

What is the definition of Hope according to Snyder?

Snyder defined hope as a cognitive process of goal-directed thinking that fundamentally arises from the combined operation of both pathways thoughts (the perceived ability to find routes to goals) and agency thoughts (the motivation and belief in one's ability to use those pathways).

What is the primary function of the Behavioral Activation System (BAS)?

The Behavioral Activation System (BAS) is a neurological system specifically responsive to cues of potential reward. Its activation signals an organism to approach stimuli and engage in 'go' behaviors to achieve desired outcomes.

What is the Prospection Pipeline in neuroscience?

The Prospection Pipeline describes a specific neural pathway, involving the hippocampus, rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC), and prefrontal cortex, that plays a crucial role in transforming past memories and experiences into future-oriented, hopeful plans and simulations.

Explain the core tenets of Protection Motivation Theory.

Protection Motivation Theory is a health-behavior model that proposes that an individual's engagement in protective actions (e.g., health-promoting behaviors) is primarily driven by their assessment of four key factors: perceived severity of a threat, perceived vulnerability to that threat, perceived response efficacy (effectiveness of the protective action), and perceived self-efficacy (one's ability to perform the action).

How does Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior predict actions?

Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior states that an individual's intentions to perform a certain behavior, and subsequently their actual actions, are largely predicted by three core components: their attitude towards the behavior, subjective norms (perceived social pressure), and their perceived behavioral control over performing the behavior.

Differentiate between an Optimistic Attribution and a Pessimistic Attribution.

An Optimistic Attribution explains negative outcomes as external (not due to oneself), variable (temporary), and specific (limited to that situation), thereby buffering against helplessness. Conversely, a Pessimistic Attribution explains negative outcomes as internal (due to oneself), stable (permanent), and global (affecting all aspects of life), which is linked to feelings of helplessness and depression.

What are SMART Goals and why are they important for psychological well-being?

SMART Goals are objectives that are designed to be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. They are important because setting such goals helps individuals build self-efficacy, foster optimism, and increase hope by providing clear, attainable targets and a structured path for progress.

What is the function of the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) in relation to optimism?

The Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) is a frontal brain region that has been consistently linked to optimistic thinking and the cognitive process of simulating positive future events. It plays a role in evaluating outcomes and regulating emotional responses.