three views of the agentic self: a developmental synthesis three views of the agentic self: a...
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Three Views of the Agentic Self: Three Views of the Agentic Self: A Developmental SynthesisA Developmental Synthesis
Todd D. Little
Key Collaborators:
Patricia H. HawleySouthern Connecticut State University
Christopher C. Henrich and Katherine MarslandYale University
Goals & OrganizationGoals & Organization
• Integrate Three Seemingly Disparate Theories– Self-Determination Theory (i.e., Deci & Ryan, 1980 to date)
– Action-Control Theory (e.g., Little, 1998; Brandtstaedter, 1998)
– Resource-Control Theory (Hawley, 1999)
SDT ACT RCT
Organismic Model of Human Nature
•Highlight Some Developmental Aspects of the Agentic Self
The Little Engine that CouldThe Little Engine that Could
Puff, Puff, Chug, Chug, went the Little Blue Engine. “I think I can-- I think I can--
I think I can…”-Watty Piper (1930)
Organismic MetatheoryOrganismic Metatheory
• Behavior is seen as volitional and goal-directed action– Individuals are inherently active and self-regulating
– Actions are purposive, planful, and self-initiated
• Development is predominantly self-guided– One gives form and meaning to actions along the way
– Actions result from selective choices that emanate primarily from the individual
• Research focuses on – Inter-individual differences
– Intra-individual differences
– sub-types or sub-groups of individuals
– contextual influences
(see e.g., Gariepy, 1996; Little, in press; Overton, 1984, Reese, 1991)(see e.g., Gariepy, 1996; Little, in press; Overton, 1984, Reese, 1991)
Mechanistic MetatheoryMechanistic MetatheoryStimulus-Response, Stimulus-Response.
Don't you ever think?
Organismic MetatheoryOrganismic Metatheory
• Mechanisms of change include– Assimilation
– Accommodation
– Equilibration
– Schema formation
– Hierarchical integration
– And so on…
• Guiding Developmental principles include– Homotypic vs heterotypic expressions
– Surface-structure vs deep-structure roots of behavior
– Different paths can lead to same outcome
– Same path can lead to different outcomes
– And so on…
Organismic Goal Attainment:Organismic Goal Attainment:Achieving an Intimate RelationshipAchieving an Intimate Relationship
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7
1.8
1.9
2
2.1
Y M O
Age-Cohort
Dep
ress
ion
Males - No
Male -Yes
Female-No
Female-Yes
Young 18-39
Mid-age40-59
Older-age60 and up
Control Judgments across the Life SpanControl Judgments across the Life Span
-2
-1
0
1
2
0 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Pre
dic
ted
Mea
n R
atin
g an
d S
tan
dar
d E
rror
s
-2
-1
0
1
2
0 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
-2
-1
0
1
2
0 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Age-Cohort
Control Expectancy
Goal Importance
Comparative Control
Control Striving
-2
-1
0
1
2
0 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Age-Cohort
PersonalSocial
Societal
Societal
Personal
Social
Personal
PersonalSocial
Social
& Societal
Societal
From Grob, Little, & Wanner, 1999From Grob, Little, & Wanner, 1999
Needs and Their OriginsNeeds and Their Origins• The Need for Competence
– Negotiating and effecting one’s environment
– Has a direct evolutionary basis
• The Need for Relatedness– Close emotional bond with another individual
– Has a direct evolutionary basis
• The Need for Autonomy– Being the origin of one’s own behavior
– Byproduct of higher cortical activity
• Resource Control Theory– Acquiring and utilizing material and social resources
– Necessary for survival and reproduction of individual
What is Agency?What is Agency?
• Agents act, we are agents– We have needs and goals
– We also have motives, wants, & desires
– We have intentions and are volitional in our actions
– We interpret & evaluate our actions and their consequences
• From our actions (actual & symbolic), we learn:– Contingencies (personal, general, environmental)
– Personal beliefs about own capabilities
• Agency is a sense of personal empowerment– Knowing what it takes and whether one's got it
Intrinsic & Extrinsic MotivationIntrinsic & Extrinsic Motivation
ASSOCIATED PROCESSES:
PERCEIVED LOCUS OF CAUSALITY:
• Perceived non-contingency
• Low perceived competence
• Non-relevance• Non-
intentionality
• Salience of extrinsic rewards or punishments
• Compliance/ Reactance
• Ego involvement
• Focus on approval from self and others
•Conscious valuing of activity
•Self-endorsement of goals
•Hierarchical synthesis of goals
•Congruence
• Interest & Enjoyment
• Inherent satisfaction
Impersonal External SomewhatExternal
SomewhatInternal
Internal Internal
From: Ryan & Deci (in press)From: Ryan & Deci (in press)
Intrinsicmotivation
REGULATORY STYLES:
Introjection Identification Integration
Extrinsic motivation
Externalregulation
Amotivation
Differentiation of Resource Control StrategiesDifferentiation of Resource Control Strategies
CoercionCoercion
ProsocialityProsociality
ProsocialityProsociality
Years 1 to 3 Years 4 to 7 Years 8 to 11
(Hawley, 1999a, 1999b)(Hawley, 1999a, 1999b)
CoercionCoercion
CoercionCoercion
Prosocial strategies emerge over time.
Types of ChildrenTypes of Children
Prosocial Control
Coe
rciv
e C
ontr
ol
ProsocialProsocial
CoerciveCoercive BistrategiBistrategicc
TypicalTypical
SubordinateSubordinate
(Hawley, Little, & Pasupathi, 2000)(Hawley, Little, & Pasupathi, 2000)
““Social Dominants”Social Dominants”
Social Motivations by TypeSocial Motivations by Type
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
Intrinsically Motivated toForm Friendships
Extrinsically Motivated toForm Friendships
BistrategicProsocialCoerciveTypicalSubordinate
(Hawley, Little, & Pasupathi, 2000)(Hawley, Little, & Pasupathi, 2000)
Social and Personal Consequences by TypeSocial and Personal Consequences by Type
-0.3
-0.2
-0.1
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
Negative Affect Positive Affect
BistrategicProsocialCoerciveTypicalSubordinate
(Hawley, Little, & Pasupathi, 2000)(Hawley, Little, & Pasupathi, 2000)
Action-Control BeliefsAction-Control Beliefs
Me Others
Agent Agent
Goal Goal
Means Means
Means can include, for example: effort, ability, luck, teachers, parents, peers, looks, etc.
Agency Beliefs
Control Expectancy
StrategyBeliefs
General Agency Beliefs
General Control Expectancy
CausalityBeliefs
(Little, 1998)(Little, 1998)
The Development of AgencyThe Development of Agency
Autonomy
Competence Relatedness
Volitional / Goal-directed Activity;
Material and Social Resources
Agency
Action-Control Beliefs; Intra-agent Means
Action-Control Beliefs; Extra-agent Means
(Little, Hawley, Henrich, & Marsland, in press)(Little, Hawley, Henrich, & Marsland, in press)
How They Come TogetherHow They Come Together
Action-Control
Resource-Control
Self-Determination
ConclusionsConclusions
• Integrating these and other organismic perspectives on behavior suggest novel foci for research
–Personality types (e.g., Bistrats)
• Understanding the Agentic self requires a contextual approach
–Interpersonal contexts (e.g., dominance)
–Life-course contexts (e.g., retirement)
Nonagentic vs. Agentic ProfilesNonagentic vs. Agentic Profiles
• Have low aspirations
• Feel helpless when challenged
• Hindered by problem solving blinders
• Perform poorly
• Accept failures
• Have greater ill-being
• Have little sense of personal empowerment
• Have high aspirations
• Persist in the face of obstacles
• See more and varied options
• Perform well
• Learn from failures
• Have greater well-being
• Have a greater sense of personal empowerment
Nonagentic Profile Agentic Profile
Acquiring a sense of Personal Agency Acquiring a sense of Personal Agency
• Direct Experiences– Successes and failures
• Performance Feedback– teachers, parents, peers, & self
• Direct Instruction– teachers, parents, peers, & self
• Vicarious Observations– TV, at school, work, local Seven-Eleven, family
• Social Comparisons– veridical opportunities, upwards, downwards
• Emotional Reactions– feelings or rejection/acceptance, reprimands
• Symbolic Actions– personal thoughts, interpretations, rehearsals of actions
Personality and Social Skills by Type
-0.6
-0.4
-0.2
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
Agreeableness Sensitivity to SocialCues
Conscientiousness Hostility
Bistrategic
Prosocial
Coercive
Typical
Subordinate
(Hawley, Pasupathi, & Little, 1999)(Hawley, Pasupathi, & Little, 1999)
Low Personal AgencyLow Personal Agency