PSYC 471 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Mental Representation

• School: McGill University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 471
• Professor: Richard Koestner

Document Summary

Lecture 1: why we fail our goals and resolutions. Questions & guidelines: begin with succeed: how we can reach our goals. Goals lead to action plans: when you set a goal you will need effort and perseverance. Failure rates for ny resolutions (norcross, et al. 1990): 1 week = 23%, this increases, in fact at 24 months = 90, almost everyone ends up failing. In this study desire to change didn"t predict anything: predictors: desire to change, readiness, self-efficacy. Lack will power (24%) koestner believes self-control is the main reason: forgot (10%, deliberate decision (30%, factors beyond my control (36%) Self-control (baumeister & heatherton, 1996: the capacity to alter or over-ride one"s typical way of responding. New years resolutions examples: pam: do volunteer work (0, keep up with school work (25% success, be a nicer person, write home more often, read more good books, these goals are in conflict with one another.