Week 1 - Introduction to Personal Development

Human development covers the whole lifespan of human existence in relation to the three domains.
Three Aspects or Domains of Human Development
1. Physical Development – Covers the growth of the body and brain, motor and sensory skills, and physical
health.
2. Cognitive Development – Covers our capacity to learn, to speak, to understand, to reason, and to
create.
3. Psychosocial Development – Includes our social interactions with other people, our emotions, attitudes,
self-identity, personality, beliefs, and values.
Factors Affecting Human Development
1. Heredity or the inborn traits – Passed on by the generations of offspring from both sides of the parents;
natural process by which physical and mental qualities are passed from a parent to a child.
2. Environment – The world outside ourselves and the experiences that result from our contact and
interaction with this external world; it is also the condition that surrounds and affects the growth, health
and progression of someone.
3. Maturation – The natural progression of the brain and body that affects the cognitive (thinking and
intelligence), psychological, and social dimensions of a person.
Personality vs. Personal Development
Personal Development

 Deals with needs and issues within an individual that are sensitive and very personal to him/her.
 Personal development is one’s development and growth within the context of the three aspects of
human development. And there are also three factors that could affect human development such
heredity, environment and maturation.
 There cannot be a right or a wrong answer or assessment to them because they are based on the
individual and the cultural values and beliefs that we grew upon.
Personality Development (linked with Personal Development)

 Personality is the sum total of a person’s qualities, both desirable and undesirable in nature.
 In short, it is what we are made of and also the impact we make on other people in our first meet or as
we call generally as ‘First Impression’.
 It includes primarily appearance and behavior to begin with.
The personality of individuals evolves all through their life time and at various stages, some or all of these
factors determine the type of behavior that is exhibited. Some aspect of our personality is in-born, while
what we experience, see and learn all play a role in who we eventually become.
Some of the first influences that we received from our parents affect the way we behave and the type of
personality we develop. Those who were shown adequate love and care by parents and guardians usually
grow up to have a healthy character while those who lacked this develop certain dysfunctional character
and behavior.
Personal development occurs as a result of an individual's decision to make his life better. It requires
personal effort and consistent planning for it to succeed.
At every stage of our lives, there are things we should do that will help improve our position in life. It is a
process that is targeted at improving our skills and abilities.
Can you now distinguished personal development from personality development? They may be used
interchangeably but they are distinct from each other yet intertwined. Now that we learned the concept of
personal development, we are now ready to discuss about Humanistic Psychology.
Humanistic Psychology
The school of thought that gave birth to the contemporary understanding of personal development started
during the flourishing of Humanistic and Positive Psychology in the 1950’s which dealt with personal
growth and meaning as a way of reaching one’s fullest potentials.
The two proponents of Humanistic Psychology were Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers. While Maslow
theorized the five stages of human development based on the hierarchy of needs, peaking in what he
termed as “self-actualization,” Carl Rogers, in his psychotherapy practice, theorized that the individual has
within himself the capacity and the tendency, latent if not evident, to move forward toward maturity.”
Abraham Maslow

 Born Apr. 1, 1908 in NY, USA.

 Earned all his degrees in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin.
 In the 1950’s Maslow became one of the founders and driving forces of the school of thought known
as humanistic psychology. His theories on the hierarchy of needs and self-actualization became
fundamental subjects in the humanist movement.
Hierarchy of Needs
In the 1950’s Maslow became one of the founders and driving forces of the school of thought known as
humanistic psychology. His theories on the hierarchy of needs and self-actualization became fundamental
subjects in the humanist movement.

 Maslow first introduced his concept of a hierarchy of needs in his 1934 paper “A Theory of Human
Motivation” and his subsequent book “Motivation and Personality”
 In the hierarchy of needs, Maslow theorized the 5 stages of human development based on the
hierarchy of needs.
The hierarchy is most often displayed as a pyramid. The lowest levels of the pyramid are made up of the
most basic needs, while the more complex needs are located at the top of the pyramid.
Types of Needs
1. Physiological Needs

 These include the most basic needs that are vital to survival: need for water, food, air, and sleep.
 Maslow believed that these needs are the most basic and instinctive needs in the hierarchy.
2. Security Needs

 These include needs for security and safety.

3. Social Needs

 These include needs for belonging, love, and affection.

 Maslow considered these needs to be less basic than physiological and security needs.
 Relationships such as friendships, romantic attachments, and families help fulfill these needs for
companionships and acceptance.
 Involvement in social, community, or religious groups will help to attain these needs.
4. Esteem Needs

 These include the need for things that reflect self-esteem, personal worth, social recognition, and
accomplishment.
 After the first 3 needs have been satisfied, esteem needs become increasingly important.
5. Self-actualization Needs

 Self-actualizing people are self-aware, concerned with personal growth, less concerned with the
opinions of others, and interested in fulfilling their potentials
 The highest in Maslow’s Hierarch of Needs
 It refers to the desire for self-fulfillment, to become actualized
Wow! It really is fascinating to learn the hierarchy of needs by Abraham Maslow. And there is nothing
more important than meeting our basic needs first before we can really achieve who we want to be and be
fulfilled. Now, let us also know the works and contributions of Carl Rogers in the study of personal
development.
Carl Rogers

 Born Jan. 8, 1902

 Widely considered to be one of the founding fathers of psychotherapy research
 Received award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions by the American Psychological Association in
1956
 An influential American psychologist and among the founders of the humanistic approach to
psychology
Person-centered Approach
Carl Rogers’ unique approach to understanding personality and human relationships bestowed the Award
for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Psychology in 1972.
This approach was found to be effective in its application in various domains such as psychotherapy and
counseling (client-centered therapy), education (student-centered learning), organizations, and other
group settings.
The Fully Functioning Person
Rogers theorized that a fully functioning person is an individual who has within himself the capacity and
tendency to move forward toward maturity, either this capacity is evident to the person or latent.
Characteristics
1. A growing openness to experience

 means move away from defensiveness

 ready to try new things
2. An increasingly existential lifestyle

 living each moment fully

 “Enjoying life to the fullest.”
3. Increasing organism trust – trusting your own judgment and ability to choose behavior that is
appropriate for each moment
4. Freedom of choice – being able to make a wider range of choices more fluently; believe that they play a
role in determining their own behavior and so, feel responsible for their own behavior
5. Creativity – more free to be creative, more creative in the way they adapt to their own circumstances
without feeling a need to conform most of the times
6. Reliability and constructiveness – can be trusted to act constructively
7. A rich full life – the life of the fully functioning person is a rich full and exciting life that will experience
joy and pain, love and heartbreak, fear and courage more intensely
Indeed, Maslow and Rogers are telling us that we must live a life filled with joy and laughter and at the
same time taking into account those things that we need to fulfill.

Week 2 - The Self, Personality and Personality Tests

WHO AM I?

 If you have, you are not alone.

 Adolescence is the time when young people start to ask questions about themselves, about their
future, and even about their religious and political beliefs.
 During the Adolescence stage of development, the young person grapples with his or her identity. This
may seem very philosophical to some, but to know oneself is the first step in personal development.
It is believed that the words “Know Thyself,” which was written at the entry of the oracle at Delphi by
seven Greek philosophers, statesmen, and lawgivers became the corner stone of western philosophy.
Socrates, who came decades after these two words were scripted at Delphi, said that it seems ridiculous
for him to investigate other unimportant things when he has not known his self yet. For Socrates the most
important thing to pursue was self- knowledge, and admitting one’s ignorance is the beginning of true
knowledge.
For Plato, one of Socrates’ students, the beginning of knowledge is self-knowledge. Other ancient
philosophers from other cultures saw wisdom in knowing oneself.
Self

 The self is an individual person as the object of its own consciousness.

 Consist of thoughts, feelings, actions, experiences, beliefs, values and principles.
 Composed of union of elements: body, thoughts and Emotions or Sensations.
In philosophical terms, it is the being which is the source of a person’s consciousness. It is the agent
responsible for an individual’s thoughts and actions.
Phenomenal Field

 Developed by Carl Rogers with Donald Snygg and Arthur W. Comb as the proponents.
 The phenomenal field refers to a person's subjective reality, which includes external objects and
people as well as internal thoughts and emotions. The person's motivations and environments both
act on their phenomenal field.
 Understanding the lived experiences of the person; appreciating the uniqueness of what the person
had gone through in life. 6 CEUs - How to Use the Child's Phenomenal Field as a Tool for Growth
Self- Concept

 The term self- concept is a general term used to refer to how someone thinks about, evaluates or
perceives themselves.
 An organized, fluid, conceptual pattern of concepts and values related to the self.
 An idea of the self-constructed from the beliefs one holds about oneself and the responses of others.
MIDDLE AND LATE ADULTHOOD
Middle adulthood (or midlife)

 Refers to the period of the lifespan between young adulthood and old age.
 This period lasts from 20 to 40 years depending on how these stages, ages, and tasks are culturally
defined.
 The most common age definition is from 40 to 65, but there can be a range of up to 10 years (ages 30-
75) on either side of these numbers.
The mid-thirties or the forties through the late 60's can be our guide. Research on this period of life is
relatively new and many aspects of midlife are still being explored. This may be the least studied period of
the lifespan. And this is a varied group. We can see considerable differences in individuals within this
developmental stage.
Late adulthood

 The stage of life from the 60's onward; it constitutes the last stage of physical change.
 Average life expectancy in the United States is around 80 years and 70 years in the Philippines;
however, this varies greatly based on factors such as socioeconomic status, region, and access to
medical care.
REAL SELF VS. IDEAL SELF
1. Real self – Refers to who we actually are. It is how we think, how we feel, look, and act.
2. Ideal self – Refers to how we want to be. It is an idealized image that we have developed over time,
based on what we have learned and experienced.
A person’s ideal self may not be consistent with what actually happens in life and experiences of the
person. Hence, a difference may exist between a person’s ideal self and actual experience.
Personality

 The combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual’s distinctive character.

 Set of behaviors, feelings, thoughts and motives that identifies an individual.
NATURE VS. NURTURE
Personality is influenced by both nature and nurture. There is no single gene that creates a trait. It is
always a complex combination of genes, environmental exposure and experiences, and cultural
backgrounds.
Nature (Heredity)

 influenced by genetic inheritance and other biological factors

 Nativism - Extreme Nature Position
Nurture (Environment)

 Generally taken as the influence of external factors after conception e.g. the product of exposure,
experience and learning on an individual.
 Empiricism- Extreme Nurture Position
The Nature vs. Nurture debate involves whether human behavior is determined by the environment, either
prenatal or during a person’s life, or by a person’s genes.
Trait Theory

 It is an approach in identifying types of personalities based on certain traits or attributes, which vary
from one person to the other.
 This theory was developed over the past 60 years, started by D. W. Fiske (1949)
 And later pursued by other researches including Norman (1967) Smith (1967) Goldberg (1981) and
McCrae and Costa (1987).
FIVE FACTOR MODEL (THE BIG FIVE) – Psychologists Costa and McCrae(1992) developed a categorized
scheme that described personality. Based on their research they discovered the existence of five universal
and widely agreed upon dimensions of personality. They called it the Big Five or Five- Factor Model.
1. Openness to experience – curiosity, interest, imagination, and creativity to new ideas.
2. Conscientiousness – planning, organizing, hardworking, controlling, persevering and punctuality.
3. Extraversion – sociable, talkative, active, outgoing, and fun-loving
4. Agreeableness – friendly, warm, trusting, generous, and kind-hearted
5. Neuroticism – sadness, moodiness and emotional stability
Personality Trait

 A disposition to behave consistently in a particular way.

 Personality is a broader term that comprises of traits, motives, thoughts, self-concept, and feelings. An
example of personality trait is shyness or social awkwardness.
MYERS-BRIGGS TYPE INDICATOR (MBTI)

 It was developed by Katherine Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers.

 It is a personality model based on four preferences of individuals.
 Adaptation of Carl Gustav Jung’s study entitled The Psychological Types.
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is an introspective self-report questionnaire indicating differing
psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions.

FOUR PREFERENCES OF THE MBTI

1. E or I (Extraversion or Introversion) – How an individual prefers to channel his or her energy when
dealing with people, whether it is inward (introversion) or outward (extraversion).
2. S or N (Sensing or Intuition) – How one prefers to process information, whether the use of senses such
as being able to describe one sees or intuitively like dealing with ideas.
3. T or F (Thinking or Feeling) – How an individual prefers to make decisions, either thinking or using logic
and analysis, or feeling which uses the cognitive senses based on values or beliefs.
4. J or P (Judgment or Perception) – How an individual prefers to manage one’s life, whether through
judging, which means a planned and organized life, versus perception, which has a more flexible approach
to living.
It is indeed very important to know thy self! Growth, development and the desire to achieve happiness are
more easily attained when we are really capable of knowing who we are and what we want to be. As
Aristotle said, "Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom".

Week 3 - Developing the Whole Person

The key phrase in this chapter that you have to pay attention to is whole person, emphasizing the
complete aspects of a person or his totality. In order to understand what it means to perceive a person as a
whole organism, we will discuss philosophical theories such as dualism and holism.
THE WHOLE PERSON AND THE HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT
Childhood is a sensitive phase of one’s life. The resources, and nurturing one receives during their
childhood has a profound impact on their blossoming into adulthood.
Holistic Development

 Holistic development is a practical approach to a comprehensive learning system where physical,

social, emotional, mind and spiritual growth of a child is taken care.
 This style of education not only focuses on mere learning but also on implementing what is learnt.
 It is the development of the whole person, emphasizing the complete aspects of a person or his
totality.
VARIOUS ASPECTS OF HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT
1. Physiological

 The physical attributes.

 Includes the five physical senses.
 The most significant change that a human being has to go through occurs during the stage of puberty.
2. Cognitive

 The intellectual functions of the mind.

 Referring to the mental processes involved in gaining knowledge and comprehension.
 Thinking, recognizing, reasoning, analyzing, projecting, synthesizing, recalling and assessing.
3. Psychological

 How thinking, feeling, and behaving interact and happen in a person.

 In this aspect adolescents begin to be more conscious, not only with their looks, but also actions with
high regard to what their peers think and feel.
4. Social – The manner by which an individual interacts with other individuals or groups of individuals.
5. Spiritual

 The attribute of a person’s consciousness and beliefs.

 Includes the values and virtues that guide and put meaning into a person’s life.
Understanding a person holistically means that one aspect cannot be seen in isolation from the whole
person. When you look at a person and try to understand this individual, it is always good to consider these
five aspects and what it is about this person that makes him or her unique from yourself and from others.
Understanding a person holistically means that one aspect cannot be seen in isolation from the whole
person.
For Example, to judge a person because of behavior alone is not balanced. One must see how the interplay
of all five aspects occurs within an individual.
Philosophical Theories
1. Dualism of Rene Descartes

 Understanding the nature of things in a simple, dual mode.

 In human, it is the dualism of the mind and body.
 Dualism is the concept that our mind is more than just our brain.
Rene Descartes, one of the modern philosophers of our time, influenced much of mankind’s thinking with
his theory of duality or understanding the nature of things in simple, dual mode. Hence, you are familiar
with the separation of body and spirit in western religion, and of the mind and body in the study of human
sciences. People perceive things as dual in character.
2. Holism and Gestaltism

 It means to configure or to form.

 Defined as “something that is made of many parts and yet is somehow more than or different from the
combination of its parts”.
 This means that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
 The concept of Gestaltism was introduced by Christian von Ehrenfels in 1890, and later on supported
by psychologists Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka, and Wolfgang Kohler of the Berlin School.
In 1926, General Jan C. Smuts, a South African statesman, military leader, and philosopher, wrote about
holism in his book Holism and Evolution. He introduced the academic terminology for holism as “the
tendency in nature to form wholes which are greater than the sum of the parts through creative
evolution.”
An example of gestalt is evident in music, a symphony cannot be identified by one of its note alone. Even
the clusters or sums of these different notes do not make up the whole symphony nor characterize the
whole symphony. The interaction and fusion of the different notes in a symphony produce something
bigger and greater than the notes themselves.
Emotions and Feelings
Paul Ekman

 happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise, and disgust

 Research by Neuroscience and Psychology (2014)
 Current Biology Journal
 There are only 4 basic emotions: happy, sad, and afraid or surprise, and angry or disgusted.
Emotions

 from the Latin word “movare” which means to move or be upset or agitated
 Emotion is a descriptive term referring to variations in level of arousal, affective state or mood,
expressive movements, and attitudes (Smith, 1973).
 Are lower level responses occurring in the sub- cortical regions of the brain, the amygdala and the
ventromedial prefrontal cortices, creating biochemical reactions in your body altering your physical
state.
 are physical and instinctual
 They originally helped our species survive by producing quick reactions to threat, reward, and
everything in between in their environments. Emotional reactions are coded in our genes and while
they do vary slightly individually and depending on circumstances, are generally universally similar
across all humans and even other species. For example, you smile and your dog wags its tail.
 Because they are physical, they can be objectively measured by blood flow, brain activity, facial micro-
expressions, and body language.
Feelings

 originate in the neocortical regions of the brain; they are mental associations and reactions to
emotions; and are subjective being influenced by personal experience, beliefs, and memories
 is the mental portrayal of what is going on in your body when you have an emotion and is the by-
product of your brain perceiving and meaning to the emotion
 arises from the brain as it interprets an emotion, which is usually cause by physical sensations
experienced by the body as a reaction to a certain external stimulus (Dr. Antonio Damasio, 2005,
interviewed by online article of Scientific American titled Feeling our Emotions)
 Sarah Mckay, neuroscientist and author of the Your Brain Health blog explains it as: “Emotions play
out in the theatre of the body. Feelings play out in the theatre of the mind.”

Attitude and Behavior

Attitude
 Person’s thoughts, feelings, and emotions about another person, object, idea, behavior or situation.
 Attitude is a result of a person’s evaluation of an experience with another person, object, idea,
behavior, or situation based on his or her values and belief systems.
Behavior

 Manifestation or acting out of the attitudes an individual has.

 The way in which an individual acts towards others.

We learned a lot especially on how we deal with our emotions and feelings, attitude and behavior as whole
person.

Week 4 - Development Stages in Middle and Late Adolescence

The ages during adolescence may be bracketed as follows:

 Early Adolescence – ages around 10 to 13

 Middle Adolescence – ages 14 to 16
 Late Adolescence – ages 17 to 20
American psychologists differ slightly with their age definitions of adolescence. Feist and Rosenberg (2012)
pegged early adolescence at age 11 or 12, and late adolescence at about age 18. Hence, in America, a child
is usually out of the house by the age of 18 because this is the age on how they define young adulthood.
This age definition of adolescence is not a cut-and-dried rule as some individual mature ahead of others, or
some experience delayed maturity due to many factors like genetics, environment or even conditions.
Early Adolescence (Preteen or the “tween” stage)

 The time when you enter the stage of puberty.

 It is considered as the most uncomfortable period of physical growth and sexual development.
 This stage is often over during the middle adolescence.
Middle Adolescence (Teen Age)

 This stage is consisting of emotional and psycho- social development.

 This is the stage in which teens are searching for their identity.
 The stage where teens are beginning to assert their independence.
Late Adolescence (“young men” or “young women”)

 Teens are already finding their way through the social scenes.
 Expected to act independently
ERIKSON’S 8 STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Erik Erikson’s 8 stages of personality development define each stage of human development with a crisis or
a conflict. Each crisis or conflict either gets resolved or may be left unresolved, resulting in favorable or
unfavorable outcomes.
In referring to these eight stages of development espoused by Erikson, it is important to know that the
stages are borderless and flowing, not strictly fixed and definite.
STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
1. Trust vs. Mistrust (Infancy) Birth-18 months)

 Psychosocial Crisis: Trust vs. Mistrust

 Major Question: "Can I trust the people around me?"
 Basic Virtue: Hope
 Important Event(s): Feeding
According to Erikson, the trust vs. mistrust stage is the most important period in a person’s life. If met they
will develop a sense of trust and will still feel secured even if threatened, but if not, then the child may
develop a sense of mistrust, suspicion and anxiety. In this situation the child will not have confidence in the
world around them or in their abilities to influence events. Success on this stage will lead to the virtue of
Hope.
2. Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (Early Childhood 18 months-3)

 Psychosocial Crisis: Autonomy versus Shame and Doubt

 Major Question: "Can I do things myself or am I reliant on the help of others?"
 Basic Virtue: Will
 Important Event(s): Toilet Training
Children at this stage are focused on developing a sense of personal control over physical skills and a sense
of independence. If children are criticized, or not given the opportunity to assert themselves then tendency
is that they will become dependent and will have low self-esteem in the future. They will become confident
and secured in their own ability to survive.
3. Initiative vs. Guilt (PLAY AGE 3-5)

 Psychosocial CRISIS: Initiative versus Guilt

 Major Question: “Am I good or bad?”
 Basic Virtue: Purpose
 Important Event(s): Exploration, Play
During the Initiative versus Guilt stage children assert themselves frequently. This is the stage in which a
child asks many questions because they are thirst with knowledge, a stage wherein the child starts to
interact with the other children at school. The main focus on this stage is letting the children play. (Through
playing they can explore their intrapersonal skills)
If met they will have the sense of initiative and feel secure in their ability to lead and make decisions.
4. Industry vs. Inferiority (SCHOOL AGE 6-12)

 Psychosocial CRISIS: Industry versus Inferiority

 Major Question: "How can I be good?"
 Basic Virtue: Competence
 Important Event(s): School
Industry means competence- the stage in which they learn to read, write and to do things on their own.
Teacher plays a special role in teaching them specific skills and peer group will become the major source of
a child’s self-esteem.
The children in this stage begin to develop their sense of pride in their accomplishments.
5. Identity vs. Role Confusion (ADOLESCENCE 12-20)

 Psychosocial CRISIS: Identity versus ROLE Confusion

 Major Question: "Who am I?"
 Basic Virtue: Fidelity
 Important Event(s): Social Relationships
A major stage of development in where the child has to learn the roles he will occupy as an adult. In this
stage they begin to search for a sense of self and personal identity through an intense exploration of their
values, beliefs and goals. They begin to form their own identity based on the outcome of their
explorations.
Fidelity involves being able to commit one’s self to others on the basis of accepting others, even when
there may be ideological differences.
IDENTITY VS. ROLE CONFUSION
Identity

 is the concept of an individual about himself and is often referred to as “self-identity”

 Role forms part of this self-identity, such as birth order in the family, the nature of work, occupation or
title, and academic and social standing
 Self-identity is molded through various interactive experiences around himself, such as family, friends
and the community, and also his thinking, attitude and behavior to external stimuli
Role confusion

 is the negation of self-identity, in a sense that there is confusion over one’s self-concept or the lack or
absence of such a concept
 it affects an individual’s relationship with others because there is no clear definition of what he is and
how he relates to others
6. Intimacy vs. Isolation (EARLY ADULTHOOD 26-44)

 Psychosocial CRISIS: Intimacy versus Isolation

 Major Question: "Will I be loved or will I be alone?"
 Basic Virtue: Love
 Important Event(s): Romantic Relationships
In this stage, we become more intimate with others. It is the stage in which we make commitments with
someone other than family members.
Positive – sense of happiness, commitment and care
Negative- may lead to isolation, loneliness and sometimes depression.
7. Generativity vs. Stagnation (MIDDLE ADULTHOOD 45-59)

 Psychosocial CRISIS: Generativity versus Stagnation

 Major Question: "How can I contribute to the world?"
 Basic Virtue: Care
 Important Event(s): Parenthood and Work
This is the stage in which we give back to the society through raising our children, being productive at work
and becoming part of community activities and organizations. Through generativity we develop a sense of
being a part of the bigger picture. Success on this stage leads to feelings of usefulness and
accomplishments while failure may result in shallow involvement in the world.
8. Integrity vs. Despair (LATE ADULTHOOD 65-Death)

 Psychosocial CRISIS: Integrity versus despair

 Major Question: "Did I live a meaningful life?"
 Basic Virtue: Wisdom
 Important Event(s): Reflecting back on life
It is during this time that we contemplate our accomplishments and can develop integrity if we see
ourselves as leading a successful life. We experience despair when we see our lives as unproductive or feel
that we weren’t able to achieve our goals in life this may lead to dissatisfaction, despair and depression.
While wisdom enables a person to look back on their live with the sense of completeness and also accept
death without fear.
CHANGES DURING ADOLESCENCE

 The adolescent’s physiological transitioning is very pronounced at this stage.

 Puberty kicks in and is fueled by the hormonal changes that are occurring and pushing adolescent
toward sexual maturation.
 Cognitive growth among adolescents is usually marked by the way they are able to comprehend
abstract concepts, such as freedom and human rights.
 At this stage, the brain also continues to develop. Their belief about morality, religion and politics are
also starting to evolve.
 This is the stage when young men and women begin to ask questions about the status quo, about the
way things happen, and usually counter questions or situations with challenging question of, “why
not?” Idealism is very prominent among adolescents and also their inclination toward becoming very
self-conscious and egocentric.
 Reckless behavior of adolescents is sometimes attributed to the development of their brains since
their ability to make plans and see the consequences of their actions are not yet fully developed unlike
in adults. (Feist and Rosenberg 2012).
 Experimentation is common activity as they search for their identity; they wanted to be treated as
adults, and they see adult behavior as something to emulate.
 They also mimic negative behaviors like smoking, drinking, which are perceived as marks of manhood
in some cultures like ours.
 They search for social groups with whom they find common interests to further validate their chosen
identity.
 Sexual experimentation also happens in this stage that is why right information and education is
needed. Due to their underdeveloped cognitive and affective capacities and education of the matter,
this experimentation sometimes ends up in a disaster.
Indeed, the 8 stages of human development shows how we experience changes, growth and development
as an individual over our lifespan. So, make the most out of it in becoming who you want to be as you
surround yourselves with good people.

Week 5 - The Challenges of Middle and Late Adolescence

This chapter has outlined the major developmental challenges likely to affect overall well-being during
adolescence and emerging adulthood. Some youth develop a set of personal assets that help them
successfully meet these challenges and develop the skills, attitudes, values, and social capital they need for
a successful transition into adulthood.
1. Attitudes and behavior toward sexuality and sexual relationships
Puberty drives the adolescent to experience surges of sexual desires, which often lead them to
experimentation and exploration. While this is often healthy to talk and engage in, there is the danger of
losing control over one’s sexual drives which inevitably end up in lifetime of regrets.

 Adolescents exploring their sexuality should be able to draw their limits in terms of sexual expressions
and should be responsible enough to see the future results or consequences of their behavior.
 Sexual relationship is healthy when the adolescent sees this as a part of a loving relationship and not
as something that is just for exploration or pleasure.
 The attitude of being responsible for one’s actions is the guiding principle toward a healthy sexuality.
Responsibility implies dealing with one’s sexuality as part of establishing a healthy self-concept or self-
identity. Being responsible also implies that entering into relationships is all about genuine loving and
caring for the other person and not just one’s urges and needs which can lead to bigger problems like
teenage pregnancies or sexually transmitted diseases.

 Love is genuine when the intent is to help the other person develop his or her talents and potentials
according to personal values, and to encourage them to become a better person.
 Love is also based on respect for the other person’s uniqueness, which means accepting and
respecting that he or she is different from you, has different set of priorities in life, different values
that he or she gives more importance to, has a personal plan for the future, and has different
emotions and feelings, attitudes, thoughts, likes and dislikes.
2. Academic concerns – The role of a student is the primary role of an adolescent who is still in school.
Although there are other roles he or she may take, being a student takes primary importance. While many
adolescents become problematic with their academic studies, what is most important is the attitude that
they need to embrace when studying.

 Being responsible is called for when dealing with academic challenges. Be aware that academic grades
are not the only indicators of learning.
 Discipline, openness, perseverance, diligence, excellence, curiosity, critical thinking, understanding,
cooperation and teamwork, respecting other people’s opinions and beliefs, social interactions,
leadership and followership are some of the more important skills and values that an adolescent
student can also learn while in school.
 Oftentimes, what is being tested in schools is the body of knowledge one acquires and absorbs and
also critical thinking and reasoning which are also tested and graded. This is the reason why grades are
important, in spite of some contrary belief that they do not accurately measure genuine learning.
If one wishes to pursue academic excellence and further studies, then grades are critical in achieving
these goals.
3. Group belongingness – An adolescent wants to belong. While there is an urge to be independent and
autonomous from his family and parents, there is also an urge to seek a replacement of this support
system, this time in the form of social groupings such as school friends, memberships in organizations and
community.

 An adolescent with a low self-esteem might be drawn toward organizations that promise camaraderie
in the form of “walang iwanan”, “do or die”, or “one for all and all for one” kind of social support.
 However, there is a possibility that these types of organization may be more destructive than
constructive. Healthy and wholesome organizations whose objectives to help individuals develop
themselves are better choices.
 An adolescent should not be lured by organizations that promise “exclusivity” or “superiority”, often
touting false courage through strength in their numbers. Avoiding organizations that adhere to
violence and other anti-social behaviors is a responsibility of the adolescent because he is responsible
for his own welfare, his family, his friends, and his school.
When joining informal groups or organizations, be very aware of peer pressure that says, “Do this or you
cannot join our group because you are not like us.” Healthy and wholesome organizations respect the
individuality of each person and would therefore NOT lure him into doing something that goes against
time-honored human values.
4. Health and nutrition – A healthy mind and body is what every adolescent (and everybody else) should
strive for. However, adolescents, because of their growing bodies and brains, are gifted with so much
energy that seems inexhaustible, resulting in one’s body and mind. Lack of sleep and poor eating habits
often result in disaster.

 Learn to listen to your body. Avoid unhealthy foods. Drink plenty of clean water and regulate intakes
of rich foods such as desserts and animal meat and fat.
 Dieting might work for some but the long-term results are not commendable because more often than
not, the person returns eventually to his bad eating habits.
 Instead, embrace a healthy lifestyle for yourself. Every time you put something inside your body, ask
first the question “Will this make me healthy or not?”
 Long exposures to television and screen gadgets are also unhealthy. Regulate the hours you spend
with technology. Read books and take time to exercise.
5. Developing or regaining Self-Esteem – Are you having difficulty acknowledging your strength and
positive traits? Many experienced life coaches and facilitators for personal growth often observe how
many adolescents, and even some adults, when asked the question about what their strengths are, would
often get stumped by the question and will take a long time before they could create a list. It seems easier
for them to recognize their weaknesses and challenges, and more often longer than the list of their
strengths.

 Adolescents who are creating their self-identity should be objective and balanced when viewing
themselves. Being objective means seeing one’s self as having both strengths and weaknesses or
having positive or negative characteristics.
 Balancing how one sees one’s self means to avoid over-emphasizing an aspect of one’s identity to the
detriment of another aspect. For example, being too negative by only recognizing one’s faults and
dwelling on them is neither healthy nor balanced.
 Adolescents have to learn to be gentler and kindler, and less demanding in order for them to maintain
a balance in their view of what and who they are.
 Individuals who often encounter criticism at home and in school often develop low self-esteem. This is
because the underlying message in the criticism is “you are not good enough for me.” This is especially
true when the criticism comes from an important person in a person’s life.
 Children who grow up with criticisms often result in losing their self-respect. Claiming back what had
been lost when they were often criticized and scolded for certain behavior and were labeled as “bad
boys or girls” requires a lot of work in restoring self-respect.
 A healthy, evolving adolescent’s tasks should be about caring for oneself and self-healing, creating and
owning positive and healthy self-concepts like “I am a good person” or “I am strong and can accept
challenges.” Only in this way can an adolescent develop his self-esteem necessary for him to lead a
healthier life.
Related to self-esteem is one’s perception of one’s body type. Adolescents at this stage are very self-
conscious, and often view themselves as unattractive, lacking the kind of physical look that is often
dictated by the advertising and the image business.

 The healthy thing for adolescents to do is to understand that there is such a thing as body types, and
their genes dictate each body type.
 Accepting one’s body type is better than rejecting it when there is not much one can do (except plastic
surgery, liposuction, regular exercise, body building, etc.) to alter this.
 Accepting one’s body type and selecting appropriate cuts and designs for one’s clothing to improve
the visual perception of one’s overall image, and celebrating one’s physical beauty as one’s own and
not as dictated by the society or media is the way to go.
 Proper grooming and self-care can help improve one’s feeling and attitude about oneself.
6. Roles – All human beings have roles to play in their lives. Roles are part of one’s identity, such as being
a son or daughter to your parents, being a brother or sister to your siblings, being a student in your school,
or a member of your organization.

 Although these roles seem separate and different from each other, adolescents must learn to
integrate all these roles and it should be clear that these roles are related to the tasks expected of
them by others.
 When there is a disparity between one’s self-identity and the roles one play, then confusion arises. For
example, an adolescent, who is a student, has studying as his or her top priority. However, this
adolescent, being the eldest in his family may also be required by the parents to take care of his or her
younger siblings and may be asked to work after school to help in providing for the family. A healthy
adolescent whose self-identity is clear and whose roles are integrated will understand and accept the
situation.
This healthy adolescent will recognize not merely the roles but the values being expected from him or her,
such as personal and family responsibility, love for family and basic survival. When these values are clear in
the mind of this adolescent, role confusion is diminished.
7. Material Poverty – There are many stories about school children and adolescent students who live in
far-flung areas where infrastructure is not available and of those who do not have much choice but to walk
when going to school.
 Poverty in our country is quite alarming because many families, particularly in Metro Manila, are still
under the poverty line. Numerous of these families have many children who cannot attend school due
to financial constraint.
 Some surmounted the challenge of poverty in their lives and how poverty awakened their advocacy
in helping others.
 Grab the opportunity of having the capability of going to school, be thankful to your parents who are
really working hard for you to be able to have schooling and become professionals someday. But do
not also forget to help others and give them hope that poverty is not really a hindrance to fulfilling
dreams in life.
8. Parents working abroad – Another social phenomenon experienced by many Filipino families today
linked to poverty are parents who leave their families to work abroad to support the needs of their
families. Studies are showing the social costs of this labor migration that leaves young vulnerable children
behind.

 Professors Reyes and Garcia said that “several studies showed how migration of parents is indeed
heart- breaking for children, making them long for parental care, get confused over gender roles, be
vulnerable to abuse, and even develop consumerist attitudes.”
 How can an adolescent minimize the impact of a parent’s absence? First of all, there must be
recognition of the emotions and feelings brought about by the situation. Sadness, loneliness, and
thoughts of being abandoned are often experience by adolescents in this given situation.
 The behavior exhibited behind these feelings and thoughts vary from person to person. Some may
react negatively by being angry at themselves or feel resentment toward the absent parent/s, some
may act in rebellious way toward elders who stay with them at home, or may become over-dependent
on their friends and other people who serve as substitutes for their absent parent/s.
 Those who react in a more positive way will see their situation as a consequence of the socio-
economic needs of their family to survive and to have better lives.
 They see their parents who work abroad as offering so much sacrifice for their welfare.
 Another positive reaction is to turn the unpleasant situation into an opportunity and challenge for
growth and improvement to achieve higher and greater results in whatever they do. An example of
this is getting good grades and learning desirable qualities like discipline and hard work.
9. Career choice – The adolescent who is creating identity for himself is faced with an urgent need to
identify what course to take in college and establish a career path for the future.

 When finding the right career, adolescents need to know what their interests are, what things they
find exciting and challenging, and what their skills are
 It has often been said that in pursuing a career, look at what you love to do and are passionate about,
and the money will just follow. But here is a word of caution: be ready to make sacrifices before you
can attain the kind of wealth and fame that may come in doing what you love to do.
10. Relationships – Maintaining healthy relationships require a certain level of maturity. An adolescent
who is still in the process of acquiring maturity may often find maintaining relationships challenging.

 At home, a female adolescent who desires autonomy and independence will encounter more parental
objections. She may not be allowed to attend social gatherings without chaperones. When this
happens, relationships at home are strained, and the adolescent who does not see the real purpose of
why her parents are restricting her will react negatively to such restrictions.
 What is important is for the adolescent to understand that her parents are concerned for her safety
and well-being, and for the values of her parents uphold, and restricting her may be a way of showing
that they care for her.
 Among friends, adolescents can be more relaxed. This is the stage when friendships develop easily and
frequently. Adolescents find it easier to bond with friends rather than with family members who “do
not understand them”.
 Healthy friendships are necessary for adolescents’ social development, but the challenge in
maintaining them are also equally challenging. Rumors can easily destroy friendly relationships.
 Romantic relationships are inevitable and equally challenging to adolescent. When emotions are
involved, it is often difficult to be objective, and many adolescents are still developing their skills in
understanding their emotions. Breakups in romantic relationships occur very frequently among
adolescents because of immaturity. However, experiences such as breakups are positive ways to grow
toward emotional maturity.
Child and Adolescent Development (Corpus et al, 2010)
1. Developing occupational skills

 Skills that can help adolescent develop responsibility as a preparation for gainful employment ahead.
 Filipino authors Corpus et al, in their book Child and Adolescent Development, identified similar
developmental tasks a Filipino adolescent need to learn.
2. Self-reliance

 The ability to identify their own skills and knowledge, capabilities, and resources to engage in
meaningful activities and not rely too much on others.
 Ability to manage their finances
 Be able to discern what is the difference between “wants” and “needs” and be able to learn self-
control when handling their finances.
 As early as possible, the adolescent should learn financial literacy through various means available to
them.
3. Social responsibility – Adolescent should be able to see beyond themselves, take into consideration the
greater community around them, and see their role in improving and developing these communities,
serving as agents of change.
4. Mature work orientation – Develop pride in what they do and raise standards of excellence in the
quality of their work.
5. Personal responsibility

 To be fully responsible for their own decisions and actions by owning them, become aware of the
repercussions or results of the decisions they make and be mature enough to “own” these results.
 Refrain from putting blame on others for the results of their decisions and actions.
6. Positive attitude toward work

 In the book by Lebanese poet Kahlil Gibran The Prophet, he wrote, “Work is Love made Visible”
 Developing a healthy and positive attitude toward work means that we see work as an expression of
our love for people who are important to us.
 One can learn new things and grow to become highly skilled, knowledgeable, and loving person if
he/she sees work as a way toward self-improvement and as an expression of love for his/her
significant others.
Additional list of developmental tasks and skills a Filipino adolescent should acquire:
1. being courageous in standing up and being different from your friends
 Belonging to a group doesn’t necessarily mean losing one’s identity and being guided by “mob rule” or
what the majority does.
 The adolescent needs to feel he/she belongs to a group. While this is important, knowing your limit
still matters.
 This is especially effective when offered to smoke a cigarette or to drink alcoholic beverages or even to
try out dangerous drugs.
 Being courageous means learning to say “NO” to what one think is going against his or her belief and
values system even if this would mean rejection by the group.
2. Developing self-esteem

 Learn to understand, accept, and appreciate oneself as a unique person.

 Avoiding comparisons between you and other people is also a healthy way to develop self-esteem.
 Being true to yourself and avoiding the tendency to please others.
 Adolescents find it difficult to assert their individuality or uniqueness because they are afraid others
will not approve or like them, or will not allow them to be a member of a group.
 The value of conformity often occurs during this stage of development.
 By developing self-esteem, the need for approval from others become less.
3. Learning how media and advertising are trying to influence your thinking and feelings – Understanding
that news or advertisement is reported for a reason, usually to serve the purpose of someone or some
organization.
4. Becoming aware, critical, and being involved with social issues

 Ask questions and speak up whenever possible to address social issues such as poverty and corruption
 Let our leaders know how you think and feel about our society, learn to suggest solutions in improving
our lives.
5. Embracing a healthy lifestyle

 Becoming aware of your health and the food you eat, and engaging in sports and other physical
activities beneficial to your well-being.
 Learn to relax.
6. Developing your spirituality – Finding what gives meaning to your life and to all the experiences you are
going through.
Skills and Tasks Appropriate for Adolescence
1. Adjust to sexually maturing bodies and feelings

 Being aware of the bodily changes happening, managing sexual feelings, and engaging in healthy
sexual behaviors.
 When adolescents learn to adjust their own development, the healthy results would be establishing
sexual identity and developing skills for romantic and meaningful relationships.
2. Develop and apply abstract thinking skills

 Effectively understand and coordinate abstract ideas, thinking out possibilities, trying out theories,
planning ahead.
 Reflecting on how and what they are thinking, and coming out with their own personal philosophies.
3. Develop and apply a new perspective on human relationship
 Developing the capacity for compassion by learning how to put themselves in “somebody else’s shoes”
in order to understand other people’s feelings and perspectives.
 Looking at relationships in different perspectives can develop in learning how to resolve conflict in
relationships.
4. Develop and apply new coping skills in areas such as decision-making, problem-solving, and conflict
resolution

 Adolescents acquire new thinking capabilities that will help them engage in more creative strategies
for problem-solving, decision-making, and resolving conflict
 They should be able to project toward the future and see the consequences of their decisions.
5. Identify meaningful moral standards, values, and belief systems

 Because of their idealism, adolescents develop more complex understanding of morality, justice, and
compassion.
 This will lead to the formation of their own belief systems that will guide their decisions and behaviors.
6. Understand and express more complex emotional experiences

 Becoming more in touch with their emotions and see the complex variances among strong emotions
and feelings.
 Understanding the emotions and feelings of others, and learning how to detach themselves from
emotional situations whenever needed.
7. Form friendships that are mutually close and supportive

 Peer influence is very strong among adolescents and this should be able to steer an adolescent
towards productive and positive relationships.
 Learning how to trust others is an important task for an adolescent to develop.
8. Establish key aspects of identity – Be encouraged to develop their own healthy self-concepts that
reflect their uniqueness in relation to themselves, their families and friends, and with the bigger
community.
9. Meet the demands of increasingly mature roles and responsibilities – It is important for the emerging
adult to acquire skills and knowledge that will provide him/her with meaningful careers and jobs and to
live up to the expectations regarding commitment to family, community, and nation-building.
10. Renegotiate relationships with adults in parenting roles

 The adolescent stage sees the movement toward independence and maturity.
 Although this is not as pronounced with other western cultures, in the Philippines, adolescents should
be able to communicate their need for a certain degree of independence as they mature to young
adults.
Certainly, the challenges being confronted by adolescents like are multifaceted and broad but as healthy
and positive living organisms, you can overcome these challenges and emerge victorious at the end.
Week 6 - Stress and Its Sources
Coping with Stress in Middle and Late Adolescence
Defining Stress
 Stress is defined as a reaction of the mind and body to a stimulus that disturbs the well-being, state of
calm, or equilibrium of a person.
 There is a common belief that stress is unhealthy, but experts conclude that this is not entirely
unhealthy.
 Small and sporadic amounts of stress can be helpful and beneficial to individuals.
 Excessive amounts of stress sustained over a lengthy period of time can be destructive to both physical
and mental health.
Three Points of View about Stress
1. Stress as a stimulus – Caused by situations that may be life threatening or life changing, such as
separation, moving into a new home, or having a new job.
2. Stress as a response – The way the body reacts to challenging situation. This involves the interactions
between the hormones, glands, and nervous system where the adrenal gland drives the production of
cortisol or better known as “stress hormone” and norepinephrine.
3. Stress as relational – is when a person experiencing stress takes a step back to look at the situation that
is causing the stress, and assesses it.
Two Types of Stress
1. EUSTRESS – This is the good stress that motivates you to continue working.
Examples of Eustress

 Receiving a promotion or raise at work

 Starting a new job
 Marriage
 Buying a home
 Having a child
 Taking a vacation
 Holiday seasons
 Taking educational classes or learning a new hobby
 Retiring
2. DISTRESS – This is a stress that describes unpleasant feelings that may cause problems to your mind of
thinking.
Examples of Distress

 The death of a spouse

 Filing for divorce
 Losing contact with loved ones
 The death of a family member
 Hospitalization (oneself or a family member)
 Injury or illness (oneself or a family member)
 Being abused or neglected
 Separation from a spouse or committed relationship partner
 conflict in interpersonal relationships
 Bankruptcy/Money Problems
Two Sources of Stressor
1. EXTERNAL STRESSORS – These are those that come outside of you like situations, people, and
experiences.
2. INTERNAL STRESSORS – These are those coming from within you, like thoughts that you have that
caused you to feel fearful, uncertainties about the future, lack of control over situations, etc.
COPING STRATEGIES FOR HEALTHFUL LIVING IN MIDDLEAND LATE ADOLESCENCE
Coping is the process of spending conscious effort and energy to solve personal and interpersonal
problems. In the case of stress, coping mechanisms seek to master, minimize or tolerate stress and
stressors that occur in everyday life. These mechanisms are commonly called coping skills or coping
strategies. All the coping strategies have the adaptive goal of reducing or dealing with stress, but some
strategies could be maladaptive or merely ineffective.
ADAPTIVE VS. MALADAPTIVE STRATEGIES
Coping strategies can also be positive (adaptive) or negative (maladaptive).

 Positive coping strategies successfully diminish the amount of stress being experienced and provide
constructive feedback for the user.
 Examples of adaptive coping include seeking social support from others (social coping) and attempting
to learn from the stressful experience (meaning- focused coping). Maintaining good physical and
mental health, practicing relaxation techniques, and employing humor in difficult situations are other
types of positive coping strategies.
 Proactive coping is a specific type of adaptive strategy that attempts to anticipate a problem before it
begins and prepare a person to cope with the coming challenge.
 Negative/Reactive coping strategies might be successful at managing or abating stress, but the result
is dysfunctional and non-productive.
 They provide a quick fix that interferes with the person’s ability to break apart the association
between the stressor and the symptoms of anxiety.
 Therefore, while these strategies provide short-term relief, they actually serve to maintain disorder.
Maladaptive strategies include dissociation, sensitization, numbing out, anxious avoidance of a
problem, and escape.

Coping Strategies
While psychologists disagree on the specific classification of the hundreds of coping strategies available
today, distinctions are often made among various contrasting strategies. The three most common
distinctions are appraisal- focused, problem- focused, and emotion-focused coping strategies.
1. Appraisal- Focused Strategies – This strategy attempts to modify thought processes associated with
stress. People alter the way they think about a problem by approaching it differently or altering goals and
values.
2. Problem- Focused Strategies – This strategy aims to deal with the cause of the problem or stressor.
People try to change or eliminate the source of stress by researching the problem and learning
management skills to solve it.
3. Emotion- Focused Strategies – This strategy addresses the feelings associated with the stressor. People
modify the emotions that accompany stress perception by releasing, distracting, or managing their mental
state.
A typical person will employ mixture of all of these strategies when attempting to cope with stress. Skill
or prowess at employing these strategies changes overtime.
Coping Abilities
The capacity to tolerate or cope with stress varies among people. The root of stress is the cognitive
appraisal of an event as stressful or stress-inducing.

 Primary appraisal is the extent to which a person perceives an event as benign or threatening and
harmful.
 Secondary appraisal is the estimation of whether a person has the resources or abilities necessary to
deal with what has already been deemed. An individual can effectively cope with stressors by
appraising stressful situations and having confidence in their ability to handle situations that are
stressful.
Variations in Coping Abilities
Coping ability and strategy selection vary depending on personality, gender, and culture.

 A person with a positive demeanor and outlook on life will perceive less stress and be better equipped
to handle stress when it does arise. Those people who employ a static view of the world will perceive
more stress and be less adept at addressing the stressor in their lives.
 Men and women also assess stress differently but tend to cope with stress similarly. Evidence shows
that men more often develop career- or work-related stress, while women are more prone to stress
about interpersonal relationships.
 The small amount of variation in coping-strategy selection shows that women will engage in more
emotion-focused coping while men tend to use problem-focused strategies.
CULTURE AND COPING STRATEGIES
Culture and surroundings also affect what coping strategies are practically available and socially
acceptable.

 Some cultures promote a head-on approach to stress and provide comforting environments for
managing stressful situations, while others encourage independence and self-sufficiency when it
comes to coping with stress.
 A person’s perception of stress and ability to cope with that stress are products of many different
influences in life.
Approaches to Stress Management
Studies of stress have shown that it is caused by distinct, measurable life events deemed stressors. Life
stressors can be ranked by the median degree of stress they produce.

 This finding led to the belief that stress was somehow outside of or beyond the control of the person
experiencing stress.
 Further study into this belief yielded a slightly different result. While external stressors can produce
valid and measurable stress in the body, this reaction is entirely dependent on the appraisal formed by
the stressed person.
 Not only does an event need to be perceived as stressful, but the individual must also believe that the
pressure of the event outweighs his/her ability to cope.
 This theory of imbalance between demands and resources is now called the transactional model of
stress.
 Modern stress-management techniques were modelled from this idea that stress is not a
predetermined, direct response to a stressor but rather a changeable perception of deficiency on
behalf the individual. This precept allows stress to be controlled by the person and provides the basis
for most stress management techniques.

1. CONVENTIONAL METHODS
Conventional methods of stress management are most popular in the Western world. These methods are
called conventional because most people are familiar with them and their effects on stress.

 Some conventional methods of reducing stress include psychiatric therapy and anxiety-reducing
medications. As with traditional medicine, conventional methods of stress management tend to focus
on evidence-based approaches to both the stressor and the experience of stress.
 While some conventional methods embrace the power and effectiveness of counselling and therapy in
stress management, they often rely on medication to reduce stress. Sometimes, the social support
factor of therapy alone can be enough to lift a person out of a debilitating state of stress.
Conventional methods tend to face the stressor head-on and adapt a person’s life to either avoid or abate
a particular type of stress.
2. ALTERNATIVE METHODS
Alternative methods of stress management have traditionally been popular in regions of the world outside
of the United States, but they continue to gain influence in the Western world. As with alternative
medicine, alternative stress therapies are not rooted in the scientific method, but rather have non-
evidence-based healing effects.

 These methods tend to focus on the person experiencing stress, providing methods for mental
reframing or management. Alternative methods such as yoga, meditation, and visualization embrace
the transactional model of stress by empowering the stressed person to either view the situation
differently or believe in their capability to cope.
 The transactional model of stress is a framework that emphasizes one’s ability to evaluate harm,
threats, and challenges, and results in an enhanced ability to cope with stressful events. Individuals
focus on the nature of thought and stress, and are encouraged to develop heightened security and
positive thinking when it comes to stressful situations.
Indeed, stress is a natural feeling of not being able to cope with specific demands and events. However,
stress can become a chronic condition if a person does not take steps to manage it. So, let us take stress us
our motivation to move forward and say "This shall pass! I can do this!”
Week 7 - The Whole Brain Theory and the Concept of Mental Health
The Whole Brain Theory
The theory of the whole-brain-work basically explains the oscillatory dynamics of the human and
nonhuman brain during cognitive processing. The theory is based on principles according to which brain
functions are represented by the oscillatory activity. Oscillatory activity in a given frequency band performs
multiple functions since they vary on a number of response parameters.

 There is selective cooperation in the stimulated brain; this produces super-binding between neural
populations and super-synergy in the whole brain. The concept of super-synergy thus includes super-
binding and, additionally, entropy and the role of EEG-oscillations (brainwaves) as control parameters
in brain's responsiveness.
 In super-synergy, spatial integration occurs through the selective cooperation of brain structures.
Temporal integration occurs in line with the principle of superposition of oscillations in which the
comparative polarity and phase angle are critical for forming the function-specific configurations.
 Extension of the theory of whole-brain-work to cognitive processing proposes that there is a constant
reciprocal activation within the sub processes of attention, perception, learning and remembering and
this leads to an APLR-alliance.
 In such a context, all brain functions are inseparable, for instance, from memory function and, in turn,
memory states have no exact boundaries along the time space; memory states thus evolve in the
APLR-alliance. The theory claims that the re-entry and the dynamic behavior of oscillations during the
reciprocal activation in APLR-alliance are among the causal factors for brain dynamics and for
cognition.
Now that you learned about the theory of the whole brain, let us also venture ourselves in the study of the
hemispheres of the brain by looking into the studies of the following scientists.
Hemispheres of the Brain
The brain, being an intricate organ, performs a lot of functions. The two sides of the brain communicate
with one another to perform all vital bodily processes. Both the left and the right side of the brain look very
much alike but they too share some differences, especially in processing information.
 Lack of integration between the different components of the brain could result in some forms of
impairment.
 The human brain has the ability to recognize itself. It has the ability to learn and adapt to change. Each
side of the brain has a distinct function, which affects the person’s ability to learn and adapt.
Paul Broca (1861)

 Conducted a study on the language and left-right brain specialization

 After several tests, Broca theorized that some language functions reside on the left side of the brain
(R.J. Morris 2006)
 Studies conducted on the brain started with an attempt to understand a brain-related disease or
malfunction.
 This study was conducted on a patient who had problems with language.
Split-Brain Theory
Dr. Roger Sperry

 1981 Nobel Prize for Physiology of Medicine

 Split-Brain Theory
 Sperry explained that the brain has 2 hemispheres that perform tasks differently from each other.
In the 1950s, research on people with certain brain injuries made it possible to suspect that the "language
center" in the brain was commonly located in the left hemisphere. One had observed that people with
lesions in two specific areas on the left hemisphere lost their ability to talk, for example. Sperry and his
colleague pioneered research. In his early work on animal subjects, Sperry made many noteworthy
discoveries. The results of these studies over the next thirty years later led to Roger Sperry being awarded
the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1981.
Sperry received the prize for his discoveries concerning the functional specialization of the cerebral
hemispheres. With the help of so-called "split brain" patients, he carried out experiments, and for the first
time in history, knowledge about the left and right hemispheres was revealed.

 When split-brain patients are shown an image only in the left half of each eye's visual field, they
cannot vocally name what they have seen. This is because the image seen in the left visual field is sent
only to the right side of the brain and most people's speech-control center is on the left side of the
brain.
 Communication between the two sides is inhibited, so the patient cannot say out loud the name of
that which the right side of the brain is seeing.
 A similar effect occurs if a split-brain patient touches an object with only the left hand while receiving
no visual cues in the right visual field; the patient will be unable to name the object, as each cerebral
hemisphere of the primary cortex only contains a tactile representation of the opposite side of the
body. If the speech-control center is on the right side of the brain, the same effect can be achieved by
presenting the image or object to only the right visual field or hand.
The same effect occurs for visual pairs and reasoning. For example, a patient with split brain is shown a
picture of a chicken foot and a snowy field in separate visual fields and asked to choose from a list of words
the best association with the pictures. The patient would choose a chicken to associate with the chicken
foot and a shovel to associate with the snow; however, when asked to reason why the patient chose the
shovel, the response would relate to the chicken (e.g. "the shovel is for cleaning out the chicken coop").
The Triune Brain Theory
Paul MacLean

 He theorized that the brain has 3 distinct parts: neocortex, limbic system, and reptilian complex.
 The neocortex (rational brain) is responsible for intellectual tasks such as language, planning,
abstraction, and perception.
 The limbic system (intermediate brain) is responsible for the motivation and emotion involved in
feeding, reproductive behavior, and parental behavior.
 The reptilian complex (primitive brain) controls the self-preservation and aggressive behavior of
humans similar to the survival instincts of animals.
The Brain Dominance Theory
Ned Herrmann

 Engineer at General Electric

 Tasked to determine why some individuals were more creative than others.
 father of brain dominance technology
 After drawing from the studies of Sperry, he came up with his own theory which he derived from
observations and tests that the human body, although symmetrical and paired in almost all aspects, do
not necessarily function equally.
People normally have a dominant part of their body, like a more dominant leg, eye, or arm, which a person
often prefers to use. For example, a left-handed person will have a weaker right hand compared to the
dominant left hand or vice versa. Meaning there is such a thing as a stronger arm, leg, or hand, and where
the weaker pair supports the stronger pair.
FOUR DOMINANT QUADRANTS

 Upper Left (A) Cerebral Mode - keyword for this quadrant is analytical
 Lower Left (B) Limbic Mode - keyword is organized
 Lower Right (C) Limbic Mode - keyword is interpersonal
 Upper Right (D) Cerebral System - keyword is imaginative
Hermann extended this dominance theory to the brain, which he concluded to having not just 2 parts but
4, the upper left and right hemispheres, and the lower left and right limbic halves (they are all connected
to each other).

 Portions A and B are known as the left side brain thinking.

 Portions C and D are known as the right-side brain thinking.
Based on this model, Herrmann developed the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI), a 120-
question survey instrument that measured the preference strengths of the 4 quadrants which is very useful
in identifying occupational profiles. He was pointing out the preferences of styles in thinking and
advocated for whole brain thinking or using the 4 styles, since most people utilize at least 2 primary
quadrants.
This means using one’s strengths while allowing the weaker styles to grow stronger through regular use
and practice. Herrmann was not trying to differentiate the functions of the quadrants and how the brain
works. Real life application of this is in solving problems and taking a different approach to finding
solutions through more creative problem solving.

Quadrant Key Word Preferred Activities Responds well to

Logical, factual, Collecting data, listening to Technical or financial
A
critical, technical, informational lectures, information, theories,
 quantitative, reading textbooks, judging charts and graphs, formal
Analytical abstract, ideas based on facts, approach, data heavy
Thinking impersonal criteria and logical content
reasoning
Following directions, Agendas, goals and
Conservative,
repetitive detailed objectives, simple graphs
B structured,
homework problems, time and presentation, step-
Sequential organized,
management and by-step procedures
Thinking detailed, planned
schedules, planning and before concluding
organizing
Emotional, Creative and free flowing
Listening to and sharing
C spiritual, feeling, activities, experiential
ideas, looking for personal
Interpersonal sensory, activities like music and
meaning, sensory input,
Thinking kinesthetic art, people-centered
teamwork, win-win situation
activities and discussions
Visual, holistic, Fun activities, humor,
Looking at the big picture,
intuitive, future-oriented activities,
D talking initiative, simulations
innovative, experimentation, thought
Imaginative (what if questions), visual
conceptual provoking and
Thinking aids, appreciate beauty of a
challenging situations,
problem
visuals
CONCEPTS OF MENTAL HEALTH
What do you know about mental health and its concepts? Come and join us knowing these important
concepts.
1. Subjective Well-Being

 One’s personal thoughts and feelings about one’s overall state of being.
 A person with a healthy self-concept or self-identity exudes charm and confidence.
 Mental health denotes positive and healthy interpretation of your self-concept and how you feel
about yourself.
 Good mental health is tied/intertwined to the individual’s self-concept and emotions about him.
2. Perceived Self-Efficacy

 One’s perception of one’s value and worth, effectiveness, and ability in performing a task or activity.
 A person with a healthy self-concept will move toward self-fulfilment.
 Mental health and well-being is also anchored on one’s self-worth and value or self-esteem.
 A person with low self-esteem may show types of behavior that are self-destructive; low self-esteem
produces thoughts that say one is not worthy of being loved or not adequate enough to be
somebody’s friend.
3. Autonomy

 Deals with one’s capacity to separate one’s identity from other significant persons like parents, lovers,
and special friends.
 Expectations are clarified and adjusted according to the role an individual take.
 The capacity for self-direction and having a clearly defined role identity.
 It is important to have autonomy since this will define how you interact with other people and the
environment.
4. Competence

 Related to self-esteem and self-identity.

 It is the perception of one’s capacity to effectively perform a function or activity using specific skills
and knowledge, and achieving the desired results at a given time.
 Responsibility is a major underlying factor for competence; an individual who is competent will always
assume full responsibility for the actions and results of his behavior.
 A competent person will adapt to the changes that can happen while he is in the thick of things,
understand why changes happen, and will adjust his actions and attitude according to the new
demands that those changes bring.
5. Intergenerational Independence

 Refers to the relationships between individuals who belong to different generations but may be living
separately as independent, autonomous persons during a specific period of time.
 The relationship between parents and their grown-up children.
 When the children have all grown-up, are pursuing their own dreams, and are forming their own nest,
their parents, who may already be retired by then, are usually left at home.
 This phenomenon is referred to as “empty nest”.
 With healthy relationships between family members, older parents will often be visited by their
children (and grandchildren) during weekends or during special occasions to celebrate and be in touch.
6. Self-Actualization of One’s Intellectual and Emotional Potential – It is all about fulfilling one’s perceived
potentials, becoming the person that one has always aspired for.
Good Physical Health is good for Mental Health
Physical health is also an important factor to good mental health. An individual who is deprived of sleep
will be cranky, have a short temper, sometimes become emotionally sensitive, and will also have bad
memory.

 Physically, the individual deprived of sleep may develop skin rashes or acne, have dark circles around
the eyes, and may even develop bad posture because of feeling weak and having low energy.
 When all of these elements are in balance, then, general well-being is experienced.
 Well-being is a state of wellness where every aspect of a person is balance. A healthy self-concept plus
a healthy mind and body are guarantee to good mental health. Being well and feeling well means that
there is a general sense of contentment, happiness, calmness, and peace within.
5 Popular Steps to Improve Mental Health and Well-Being
There are 5 well-known steps for us to improve our mental health and well-being. Let us embrace these
steps.
1. Connect with other people
Good relationships are important for your mental wellbeing. They can:

 help you to build a sense of belonging and self-worth

 give you an opportunity to share positive experiences
 provide emotional support and allow you to support others
2. Be physically active
Being active is not only great for your physical health and fitness. Evidence also shows it can also improve
your mental wellbeing by:

 raising your self-esteem and helping you to set goals or challenges and achieve them
 causing chemical changes in your brain which can help to positively change your mood
3. Learn new skills
Research shows that learning new skills can also improve your mental wellbeing by:

 boosting self-confidence and raising your self-esteem, helping you to build a sense of purpose
 helping you to connect with others
Even if you feel like you do not have enough time, or you may not need to learn new things, there are lots
of different ways to bring learning into your life.
4. Give to others
Research suggests that acts of giving and kindness can help improve your mental wellbeing by:

 creating positive feelings and a sense of reward

 giving you a feeling of purpose and self-worth
 helping you connect with other people
It could be small acts of kindness towards other people, or larger ones like volunteering in your local
community. Some examples of the things you could try include:

 saying thank you to someone for something they have done for you
 asking friends, family or colleagues how they are and really listening to their answer
 spending time with friends or relatives who need support or company
 offering to help someone you know with DIY or a work project
 volunteering in your community, such as helping at a school, hospital or care home
5. Pay attention to the present moment (mindfulness)
Paying more attention to the present moment can improve your mental wellbeing. This includes your
thoughts and feelings, your body and the world around you.

 Some people call this awareness "mindfulness". Mindfulness can help you enjoy life more and
understand yourself better. It can positively change the way you feel about life and how you approach
challenges.
 Read more about mindfulness, including steps you can take to be more mindful in your everyday life.
Whole Brain Theory in Learning
How does the Whole Brain Theory enhance the learning process? It has been observed that brain
dominance leads to thinking preferences that influence and improve learning styles.
Based on the table above, each of the quadrants has a set of preferences in terms of learning.
Quadrant A learners are very much into logical thinking.

 Quadrant A learners expect exact information that are straight to the point, and they would also want
to be fed with lots of theories, numbers, data, logical explanations, and results of research studies.
 However, they will find it difficult to express their inner thoughts and emotions, and may struggle with
unclear or undefined concepts or ideas.
Quadrant B learners easily grasp things in sequence, enjoy organizing ideas and things, assess situations
and information, and apply what they have learned into practice.

 Quadrant B learners will always demand for clear instructions or directions, and would rather apply
what they have learned in practical situations rather than just theories.
 Being a sequential thinker, the B learner needs to be able to see the sequence of things, which are
consistent and in proper order.
 They may find it difficult to understand concepts without any examples to show how these are
applied.
 Their big challenges are in taking risks and doing things that are not clearly defined to them.
A and B learners are often characterized as practical, reality based, and down-to-earth persons
Quadrant C learners are very sociable learners who enjoy learning with a group with whom they share
ideas and projects.

 Are very focused and involved when trying to learn They something.
 They also tend to reflect on what they have understood and acquired in terms of knowledge, and most
of the time use their bodies and movement while learning.
 They get bored with data and intellectual discussions without activities and participation.
The C learner is also emotional and would share their emotions with a group. Personal feedback is
therefore important to them.
Quadrant D learners are the curious ones who enjoy dis covering, experimenting, and exploring
activities.

 They are strong thinkers when it comes to conceptualizing and putting all the seemingly unrelated
parts and connecting these parts together, witnessing, and in creating new ideas and concepts.
 The D learner enjoys games and surprises, is a visual learner and needs different varieties of
approaches to learning.
 Being spontaneous in character, the D learner will have difficulty meeting deadlines and rigid
environments.
 C and D learners are often characterized as fun, flexible, and open-minded persons.
Learners should always remember that they do not necessarily belong to just one or two quadrants, but
can find their qualities present in all the quadrants.

 Knowing the different styles of learning the adolescent high school student can easily adapt their own
learning styles with that of their classmates and even those of their teachers.
In accepting the diverse types of learning, the adolescent learner can become a better collaborator at
work, a very important skill that is currently in demand in the workplace.
MIND MAPPING
What is a mind map and when is it useful? Organizing information and concepts through the use of maps
or diagrams has been a practice among thinkers as early as the third century.

 Educators, planners, engineers, and other professionals had been using these pictorial methods
throughout the centuries that followed.
 British psychology author and consultant, Tony Buzan, who also developed the technique in creating
such map, popularized the use of the phrase "mind map."
 "A mind map is a diagram used to represent ideas or information branching from a central key word or
idea and used as an aid in study, organization, problem solving, decision-making, and writing."
According to the website www.mindmapping.com, there are five essential characteristics of mind
mapping:
Educators, planners, engineers, and other professionals had been using these pictorial methods
throughout the centuries that followed.
British psychology author and consultant, Tony Buzan, who also developed the technique in creating such
map, popularized the use of the phrase "mind map."
1. The center image represents the main idea, subject, or focus.
2. The main branches radiate from the central image.
3. The branches comprise a key image or word drawn or printed on its line.
4. Twigs represent the lesser topics.
5. The branches form a connected nodal structure.
Using Mind Maps Effectively
How do we use mind maps effectively? Once you understand how to take notes in mind map format, you
can now develop your own rules. The following suggestions can help you draw impactful mind maps:
1. Use Single Words or Simple Phrases - Many words in normal writing are padding, as they ensure that
facts are conveyed in the correct context, and in a format that is pleasant to read. In mind maps,
single, strong words, and short meaningful phrases can convey the same meaning more potently.
Excess words just clutter the mind map
2. Print Words - Joined up or indistinct writing is more difficult to read.
3. Use Color to Separate Different Ideas - This will help you to separate ideas where necessary. It also
helps you to visualize the mind map for recall. Color can help to show the organization of the subject.
4. Use Symbols and Images - Pictures can help you to remember information more effectively than
words, so if a symbol or picture means something to you, use it.
5. Use Cross-Linkages - Information in one part of a mind map may relate to another part. Here, you can
draw lines to show the cross-linkages. This helps you to see how one part of the subject affects
another.
Absolutely, the BRAIN is the most complex part organ in the human body! The brain may well be our
body's most mysterious organ. Unbelievably complex, utterly fascinating, and notoriously difficult to study,
we're left wondering: What exactly does the brain do and how does it do it?

Week 8 - Concept of Mental Health and Neurological Basis of Emotions

Mental Health and Well-Being in Middle and Late Adolescent
CONCEPTS OF MENTAL HEALTH
In this chapter, we will look at the concept of mental health and well-being and the neurological basis of
emotions.
What is mental health? Why is understanding mental health and well-being important, particularly to the
adolescent, and to every person in general?

 According to the US National Institutes of Health, "mental health includes our emotional,
psychological, and social well-being.
 It affects how we think, feel, and act as we cope with life. It also helps determine how we handle
stress, relate to others, and make choices.
 Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.
 The 1999 US Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health defined mental health as "successful
performance of mental function, resulting in productive activities, fulfilling relationships with other
people, and the ability to change and to cope with adversity (Knopt, Park, and Muyle 2008).
The World Health Organization's (WHO) World Health Report released in 2001 stated that mental health is
defined differently by different experts from different cultures. Concepts of mental health include the
following:
What do you know about mental health and its concepts? Come and join us knowing these important
concepts.
1. Subjective Well-Being

 One’s personal thoughts and feelings about one’s overall state of being.
 A person with a healthy self-concept or self-identity exudes charm and confidence.
 Mental health denotes positive and healthy interpretation of your self-concept and how you feel
about yourself.
 Good mental health is tied/intertwined to the individual’s self-concept and emotions about him.
2. Perceived Self-Efficacy

 One’s perception of one’s value and worth, effectiveness, and ability in performing a task or activity.
 A person with a healthy self-concept will move toward self-fulfillment.
 Mental health and well-being is also anchored on one’s self-worth and value or self-esteem.
 A person with low self-esteem may show types of behavior that are self-destructive; low self-esteem
produces thoughts that say one is not worthy of being loved or not adequate enough to be
somebody’s friend.
3. Autonomy

 Deals with one’s capacity to separate one’s identity from other significant persons like parents, lovers,
and special friends.
 Expectations are clarified and adjusted according to the role an individual take.
 The capacity for self-direction and having a clearly defined role identity.
 It is important to have autonomy since this will define how you interact with other people and the
environment.
4. Competence

 Related to self-esteem and self-identity.

 It is the perception of one’s capacity to effectively perform a function or activity using specific skills
and knowledge, and achieving the desired results at a given time.
 Responsibility is a major underlying factor for competence; an individual who is competent will always
assume full responsibility for the actions and results of his behavior.
 A competent person will adapt to the changes that can happen while he is in the thick of things,
understand why changes happen, and will adjust his actions and attitude according to the new
demands that those changes bring.
5. Intergenerational Independence

 Refers to the relationships between individuals who belong to different generations but may be living
separately as independent, autonomous persons during a specific period of time.
 The relationship between parents and their grown-up children.
 When the children have all grown-up, are pursuing their own dreams, and are forming their own nest,
their parents, who may already be retired by then, are usually left at home.
 This phenomenon is referred to as “empty nest”.
 With healthy relationships between family members, older parents will often be visited by their
children (and grandchildren) during weekends or during special occasions to celebrate and be in touch.
6. Self-Actualization of One’s Intellectual and Emotional Potential – It is all about fulfilling one’s perceived
potentials, becoming the person that one has always aspi
Good Physical Health is good for Mental Health
Physical health is also an important factor to good mental health. An individual who is deprived of sleep
will be cranky, have a short temper, sometimes become emotionally sensitive, and will also have bad
memory.

 Physically, the individual deprived of sleep may develop skin rashes or acne, have dark circles around
the eyes, and may even develop bad posture because of feeling weak and having low energy.
 When all of these elements are in balance, then, general well-being is experienced.
 Well-being is a state of wellness where every aspect of a person is balance. A healthy self-concept plus
a healthy mind and body are guarantee to good mental health. Being well and feeling well means that
there is a general sense of contentment, happiness, calmness, and peace within.
5 Popular Steps to Improve Mental Health and Well-Being
There are 5 well-known steps for us to improve our mental health and well-being. Let us embrace these
steps.
1. Connect with other people
Good relationships are important for your mental wellbeing. They can:

 help you to build a sense of belonging and self-worth

 give you an opportunity to share positive experiences
 provide emotional support and allow you to support others
2. Be physically active
Being active is not only great for your physical health and fitness. Evidence also shows it can also improve
your mental wellbeing by:

 raising your self-esteem and helping you to set goals or challenges and achieve them
 causing chemical changes in your brain which can help to positively change your mood
3. Learn new skills
Research shows that learning new skills can also improve your mental wellbeing by:

 boosting self-confidence and raising your self-esteem, helping you to build a sense of purpose
 helping you to connect with others
Even if you feel like you do not have enough time, or you may not need to learn new things, there are lots
of different ways to bring learning into your life.
4. Give to others
Research suggests that acts of giving and kindness can help improve your mental wellbeing by:
 creating positive feelings and a sense of reward
 giving you a feeling of purpose and self-worth
 helping you connect with other people
It could be small acts of kindness towards other people, or larger ones like volunteering in your local
community. Some examples of the things you could try include:

 saying thank you to someone for something they have done for you
 asking friends, family or colleagues how they are and really listening to their answer
 spending time with friends or relatives who need support or company
 offering to help someone you know with DIY or a work project
 volunteering in your community, such as helping at a school, hospital or care home
5. Pay attention to the present moment (mindfulness)
Paying more attention to the present moment can improve your mental wellbeing. This includes your
thoughts and feelings, your body and the world around you.

 Some people call this awareness "mindfulness". Mindfulness can help you enjoy life more and
understand yourself better. It can positively change the way you feel about life and how you approach
challenges.
 Read more about mindfulness, including steps you can take to be more mindful in your everyday life.
NEUROLOGICAL BASIS OF EMOTIONS
Being aware of our emotions can help us talk about feelings more clearly, avoid or resolve conflicts better,
and move past difficult feelings more easily. Let us learn its source.
Daniel Goleman

 Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ (1995)

 Presented the physiological process on how emotions occur.
 Goleman stated that “all emotions are, in essence, impulses to act, the instant plan for handling life
that evolution has instilled in us”.
 He traces the origins of emotions from human race’s survival instinct to sense, detect, and act on any
threat to life and survival.
 Emotions are present as reactions to events/ situations that happen in our life which will guide us to
survival.
 It’s instinctual which is also known as “fight or flight” response of animals and humans when they are
in danger.
 It is only the human brain that was gifted with the capacity to process in an intellectual level the
emotions being experienced, validating the reality of the danger, controlling the emotions being
experienced, and acting accordingly given several options to choose from.
Neuroscientists have agreed that there are parts of the human brain primarily involved in the creation of
emotions, specifically the amygdala, the neocortex, and the frontal lobes.
Joseph LeDoux

 The amygdala has become the center of action, the emotional sentinel that can take control of our
actions even before the neocortex could assess what to do.
 The amygdala also keeps a memory bank of previous experiences related to emotions; emotions
related with a specific memory are recalled whenever the experience is remembered; you remember
situations more when your emotions are triggered by them.
 If we see a snake in front of us, its image is quickly passed on to the thalamus, which in turn, sends out
the pulses to the other parts of the brain, first into the neocortex, then to the amygdala, then to the
frontal lobes which eventually send these signals to the other parts of the body for action.
 LeDoux pointed out that small amounts of the impulses coming from the thalamus escape to the
amygdala.
 This situation triggers what we know as our knee-jerk reaction to a situation, happening before before
the information was processed by the rational part of the brain.
 “Hijacking the Amygdala”

While the pre-frontal cortex controls emotions so we can deal better and more effectively with the
situation, the amygdala acts on its own in pushing the other buttons for a body response (Goleman, 1995).
Emotional Intelligence
How can emotions be managed? Are actions in managing emotions have something to do with the concept
of emotional intelligence? To further deepen our knowledge and understanding about emotions, let us
discuss emotional intelligence.
Goleman defines emotional intelligence as "the ability to motivate oneself and persist in the face of
frustrations, to control impulse and delay gratification, to regulate one's moods and keep distress from
swamping the ability to think, to empathize, and to hope."
While Daniel Goleman popularized emotional intelligence, the concept of emotional intelligence was first
introduced by Peter Salovey, a psychologist from Yale University who showed how intelligence can be
brought to our emotions (Goleman 1995).
Later on, Salovey was joined by John Mayer, a psychologist from the University of New Hampshire, in
formulating emotional intelligence.
Salovey identified five domains of emotional intelligence, namely:
1. Knowing one's emotions or self-awareness

 Self-awareness brings with it the skill for self-reflection. It is about a person who recognizes an
emotion being felt, and is able to verbalize it by saying "I am experiencing anger" or "I am angry at the
peak of one's rage.
 This is about knowing how we feel and the thought behind the feeling.
 According to Mayer, when one recognizes this emotion, there is also a desire to get rid of it or get out
of that situation.
 When this happens, this is seen as a sign that the neocortex is gaining some control over the
amygdala.
2. Managing emotions

 Goleman points out that we often have very little or no control when an emotion occurs and what this
emotion will be, but we can have control on how long an emotion will last.
 For example, when we grieve over the loss of a loved one, to dwell on the grief for a very long time will
oftentimes result in deeper emotional problems, such as depression.
 It is important to recognize an emotion and experience it, but dwelling on it, particularly if it is
negative, is not healthy.
3. Motivating oneself

 Research studies have shown that hope is a major indicator of emotional intelligence.
 Hope is the element present when one is fighting some overwhelming anxiety, a defeatist attitude, or
depression.
 Goleman points out that optimism is a great motivator, and like hope, it provides a person with
expectations that things will turn out better or right, when faced with adversity.
4. Recognizing emotions in others

 The capacity to recognize the emotions in other people is called empathy. According to Goleman, the
root cause of our capacity to empathize is self-awareness.
 If we recognize our own emotions and how these affect us, then it will be easier to recognize other
people's emotions as well.
 Empathy is important in maintaining relationships as this also taps on the caring capacity of people.
 In a research study conducted by Daniel Stern, a psychiatrist at the Cornell University School of
Medicine, he found out that the capacity of an individual to empathize is linked to the individual's
need for others to recognize and receive their emotions and respond to them.
 Stern referred to this as attunement.
 This means that if a person does not receive empathy from others, the tendency is not to have
empathy for others as well.
5. Handling relationships

 Emotional intelligence is also evident in the way we manage our relationships with others.
 Howard Gardner, the proponent of multiple intelligences, and his colleague, Thomas Hatch, came up
with four components of social intelligence (or interpersonal intelligence). These are:
a. Organizing groups - a leadership skill essential in mustering groups of people toward a common
action. Examples of people with this talent are orchestra conductors, military officers, and stage
directors.
b. Negotiating solutions - this talent to bring people in conflict to talk and come up with a solution is
usually found among mediators of disputes.
c. Personal connection - this is the talent where empathy and connecting with another person's
emotions are manifested. Teachers usually have this natural tendency to relate to others.
d. Social analysis - is the talent to step out of a situation and objectively form insights about the way
people feel and behave. Therapists are gifted with this talent.
Benefits of Emotional Intelligence
It is often believed that Emotional Intelligence (EI) or also referred to as EQ (Emotional Quotient), is more
important in achieving success in one's career or personal life than IQ.
While a high IQ is not a surefire element to one's success, EQ has been identified as the foundation in
developing important skills necessary for one's success at work.
Emotional intelligence is important as it directly affects:
1. Physical and mental health - emotional intelligence equips one with tools in managing stress; and
stress, which usually brings discomfort and illnesses, can be avoided. For mental health, emotional
intelligence works well when dealing with frustrations and challenges, providing the individual with
plenty of healthy coping mechanisms.
2. Work performance - either in school if you are still a student, or at work, if you are already employed.
EI helps in understanding people and situations more objectively and with more understanding and
com passion. Emotions that are managed well relieve one from stressful situations and
misunderstandings with others
3. Relationships - interpersonal relationships are enhanced because emotions are expressed in a more
positive way, and with empathy, genuine caring is expressed and shared. El also builds trust so that
conflicts are managed better.
GENERALIZATION: Indeed, it is true that in developing one's emotional intelligence, one must first be
aware of the neurological genesis of emotions, which emanates from the interplay between the different
parts of the brain particularly, the thalamus, amygdala, and frontal neocortex.
There is a wide variety of emotions a person can experience. There are many ways to classify them. What
is important is for you to learn the wide array of words that define the different emotions that people
experience. At the immediate occurrence of a knee-jerk reaction, we immediately know this is coming
from the amygdala, so the next thing to do is to assess the emotion and see its relevance to the situation.
As Goleman defines emotional intelligence as "the ability to motivate oneself and persist in the face of
frustrations…”, be honest and open to oneself, accepting one’s capacity for different types of emotions,
knowing how to handle emotions positively, and being emphatic and sensitive to other people’s emotions.