Chapter 4: Choices and Actions: The Self in Control

risk aversion

in decision making, the greater weight given to possible losses than possible gains

temporal discounting

in decision making, the greater weight given to the present over the future

certainty effect

in decision making, the greater weight given to definite outcomes than to probabilities

error management theory

the idea that both men and women seek to minimize the costliest type of error, but that men’s and women’s goals, and hence worst errors, differ

status quo bias

the preference to keep things the way they are rather than change

omission bias

the tendency to take whatever course of action does not require you to do anything (also called the default option)

reactance theory

the idea that people are distressed by loss of freedom or options and seek to reclaim or reassert them (Jack Brehm)

entity theorists

those who believe that traits are fixed, stable things (entities) that are not subject to change (Carol Dweck)

learned helplessness

belief that one’s actions will not bring about desired outcomes, leading one to give up and quit trying

incremental theorists

those who believe that traits are subject to change and improvement (Carol Dweck)

self-determination theory

the theory that people need to feel at least some degree of autonomy and internal motivation (Deci and Ryan)

panic button effect

a reduction in stress or suffering due to a belief that one has the option of escaping or controlling the situation, even if one doesn’t exercise it

goal

an idea of some desired future state

classical motivation theory

suggest that motivation increases when is goal is closer; the low point for motivation is in the middle of the project

zeigarnik effect

a tendency to experience automatic, intrusive thoughts about a goal whose pursuit has been interrupted

goal shielding

occurs when the activation of a focal goal the person is working on inhibits the accessibility of alternative goals

planning fallacy

the tendency for plans to be overly optimistic because the planner fails to allow for unexpected problems

self-regulation

the self’s capacity to alter its own responses

monitoring

keeping track of the behaviors or responses you want to regulate

TOTE

the self-regulation feedback loop of Test, Operate, Test, Exit

decision fatigue

a state of depleted willpower caused by making decisions, which can affect subsequent decisions by causing people to fail to think and choose carefully

habits

an acquired behavior that, if followed regularly, will become almost automatic

influential theory

suggests that habits are vestiges of past efforts at pursuing goals, and they become detached from goals and operate on their own

self-defeating behavior

any action by which people bring failure, suffering, or misfortune on themselves

capacity to delay gratification

the ability to make immediate sacrifices for later rewards