Author Question: Describe what advice you can give first-year students about increasing their self-control, based on ... (Read 62 times)

bcretired · **on:** Jun 22, 2018

Describe what advice you can give first-year students about increasing their self-control, based on research in this chapter.

What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Many social psychologists assert that much of our sense of self arises from our interactions with or observations of others: in effect, that the self is social. How does Leon Festinger's social comparison theory fit this conceptualization self?

What will be an ideal response?

flannelavenger · **Reply #1 on:** Jun 22, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Answer: Research evidence says that practicing self-control improves the ability to use it in the future. So, if first-year students start now with exercising some control, they will get better at it as time goes on. Second, because self-control takes energy, be sure to do things to recharge the batteries after periods of exerting control. Finally, have a plan. Make a commitment to oneself and plan for responses to temptations ahead of the arrival of the situation.

Answer to Question 2

Answer: Social comparison theory posits that we are motivated to evaluate ourselves, our attitudes, and our abilities. Sometimes the nonsocial environment doesn't provide enough information (i.e., objective criteria) to afford these evaluations. When this happens, we often turn to others to evaluate our own abilities; we engage in social comparison. We are most likely to compare ourselves to others when there are no objective standards and when we are unsure of some self-aspects. We engage in upward social comparison when we want to be accurate, and in downward social comparison when we want to feel good about ourselves.