A basic assumption of Rotter’s Social Learning Theory (SLT) relates directly to our daily lives. We have goals to guide us; some explicitly stated, and others less so. When Goals are clear and measurable, it is easier to know and feel we are accomplishing something important. People vary greatly in their goal-setting strategies, some more effective than others. Given the assumption that we are goal-directed, let’s examine what this means in our daily activities.
Goal-directedness is, by its very nature, directional. In pursuing a goal or goals, we can not assume goal-directedness is always desirable. We sometimes pursue goals and accomplish our mission, only to come out on the wrong side. A person whose goal is to always have a sufficient supply of alcohol on hand to fulfill a greedy taste is pursuing a goal that is ultimately self-destructive. It is essential to have goals that direct our behaviors toward health, safety, happiness, and a life well lived. More about that later.
In SLT, as a science-based theory, it is assumed that a goal is defined by how a person interacts with the environment. Thus, we have a person, and we have an environment. When we focus on environmental conditions (i.e., outside of ourselves) to determine the direction of our behaviors, we can speak of reinforcements. When we focus on the person (i.e., inside ourselves) determining the direction, we can speak of needs. In both cases, we discuss a person interacting with a meaningful environment.
Goal-directedness is not a simple matter; it is easily understood by those of us trying to find our way in a complicated world. Positive goal-directedness is highly personal, yet not as common as one might think. Working with people “seeking happiness” as a Clinical Psychologist, it is almost routine to observe a lack of clarity regarding the person’s goals. Usually, when goals are expressed, they are vague and only a general idea of what is wanted. They are rarely helpful in defining the behaviors one might take to resolve the current conflict(s).
Vagueness is not helpful and is one of the important issues to be clarified early on in therapy/counseling. Without a clear understanding of one’s goals, it is virtually impossible to determine what behaviors might be encouraged to achieve those goals. The person (and the therapist) are functioning within a “quandary.” There is no reason to expect positive outcomes from therapy as long as goals remain ambiguous and confusing.
The Personal Concerns Inventory (PCI) And Goal Setting
To resolve ambiguity regarding goals, I developed a self-assessment tool that allows clear goals to be established as soon as possible, useful to both the client and the counselor/therapist. Voila! The Personal Concerns Inventory measures over 1000 personal concerns in about 20 minutes and changes these concerns over time with repeated self-assessments.
Completing the PCI generates an online “This is Me!” report that clearly measures personal concerns at the time of measurement. Because the PCI and the results are for the client’s eyes only, we eliminate “evaluation apprehension” affecting those clients wanting to look good in the eyes of others at the expense of the accuracy of their self-assessments.
The PCI delivers a clear portrait of what matters to you and what you can focus on when seeking rapid results. This is called FOCUSED ACTION within positive performance psychology. We are ready for action that matters. Our needs direct our goals, and we interact with an environment where these needs can be fulfilled or frustrated, depending on how aligned our behaviors are with desired goal achievements.
What Do We Define As A Personal Concern
In SLT and Positive PERFORMANCE Psychology, a personal concern is one of two kinds. It can be a HIGH expectation for losing a HIGHLY VALUED REWARD. It can be a LOW expectancy for achieving a Highly Valued Reward. In the first instance, it could be a significant fear of losing one’s spouse to a dreaded disease. Second, it could be the discouragement associated with not getting into the college I applied to. In both instances, goal-directedness is frustrated by the expectation of a negative outcome, thus a legitimate Personal Concern.
All personal concerns are about conflict between what one wants and what one expects. When you clearly understand your personal concerns, you can initiate a strategic, goal-directed plan to resolve the dispute. Once again, FOCUSED ACTION is a key concept in Positive PERFORMANCE Psychology.
We aim to expedite the resolution of Personal Concerns, reduce emotional discord, and save time and money; this is why the PCI is offered for free.
In The Zone Self-learning features Internal Locus of Control
Our Self-learning model for resolving Personal Concerns was designed to deliver rapid, positive results for those seeking resolution of their conflicts, distractions, inefficiencies, anxieties and discouragements. It is not “therapy” as traditionally defined. It is a psychoeducational process that is 100% online. For those interested, In The Zone Skills Training is backing up the In The Zone E-Book along with the use of the PCI, which deepens and sensitizes the learning process immensely. In The Zone Skills Training draws upon a comprehensive body of knowledge and self-care exercises available beyond that presented in the E-Book.