Skip to main content

Posts

Self-Conscious Emotions

 Blog Post #8 The eight blog-post covers self-conscious emotions. These emotions are differentiated from outcome emotions because they are intrinsically connected to a self-evaluation. The four major self-conscious emotions are pride, shame, guilt, and embarrassment. In this blog, I'll discuss how our protagonist, Edward Scissorhands, experiences all three of the negative emotions.  Shame vs Guilt vs Embarrassment  Before applying these concepts to our main character, it is important to explain what each means, given that many times people will use these interchangeably. Shame is the most extreme of the three, and this is because it means that the individual sees themselves as flawed and attributes whatever failure occurred to the whole self. Guilt, by comparison, focuses the blame on the behavior that caused the emotion. In addition, Guilt usually leads to seeking reparative action, while shame is typically followed up by retreat or aggression. Embarrassment is the least...
Recent posts

Control-Value Theory

 Blog post #7 The seventh blog post covers Control-Value Theory. It makes sense that we learned about this theory later on in our semester because, at its core, it combines many of the concepts that we wrote prior blog posts about. Control-Value theory incorporates E xpectancy-Value Theory, Attribution Theory,  Self-Efficacy Theory,  and Appraisal Theory. Yet, at its core, the theory focuses on emotion, motivation, and how they are interconnected. Furthermore, the theory is very time conscious, with perceptions of control and values divided into three categories past, present, and future. Inside these three categories, the theory further splinters how each could manifest depending on the time frame.  Looking at our main character through this lens, it's clear how control-value manifests itself in his actions. At the start of the film, when he comes down to the town, he has a task, becoming integrated into the local village, that he views as highly valuable due to his...

Attributional Theory

 " I deserve what happens to me now" - Edward Scissorhands Blog Post #6 Attributional Theory The theory we covered this past week in class relates to outcomes. More specifically, why certain outcomes happen to us and to what we attribute them. Attributional theory is built upon three blocks locusts of control, controllability, and stability. I will dive into them in the later sections, but it is important to restate the goal of our main character. Edwards's central goal, which we discuss every week, is to attempt to become integrated into the suburban society he has been thrust into. Watching the movie again, it is a bit difficult to state with total certainty how Edward is contextualizing the events around him concerning attributional theory because he is not a very vocal lead character, yet, using his overall demeanor, I will do my best. Locusts of Control This part of attributional theory can be described through the lens of internal and external. If a locus of control...

Goal Complexities

 "It is so easy to commit embarrassing blunders"- Inventor Blog Post #5 Achievement Motives This week we will be talking about the achievement motives behind the goals that Edward Scissorhands set for himself throughout the film. Before analyzing Edward through this lens, I must first explain it. There are two types of motives that shape how people perceive the root cause for their goals, and they are success-oriented and fear of failure. The former signifies that the person has hope for the future, strong self-efficacy, and typically leans on goals that culminate in improving skills. The latter is the opposite, and it signifies that the person is pushed towards their goals because they are afraid of the consequences of not achieving it. Those who fall under this umbrella typically have goals based on performance in a comparative sense. How a person combines these two categories and then places them in one of four groups. The first are optimists with a strong hope for success...

Self-Efficacy: Expectancy-Value Part 2

" Well, this must be quite a change for you, right, Ed? Blog Post #4 Self Efficacy The second lesson covering expectancy-value theory focused on expectancy's first part of the equation. The central idea of this lesson was the concept of self-efficacy. This term means one's belief in the outcome of their goal. If one has little faith in their ability to accomplish a task, they are much less likely to even attempt it. Self-Efficacy can be formed in four central ways that will each be related to Edward Scissorhands. Personal Behavioral History The first of the four sub-sections that create self-efficacy is the also the least impactful to our main character. This is best described by saying that if you have been able to complete similar task in the past it will create belief that you will continue being successful at similar task in the future. Sadly, Edward grew up in an isolated environment and the movie does not even state how long it was between the time of his invention a...

EXPECTANCY-VALUE THEORY, PERFORMANCE GOALS, AND INSTRUMENTALITY

“Edward, I think you should just come home with me.” – Peg Blog Post #3 This week the class moved on to expectancy-value theory. At its most simple expectancy-value theory states that an individual's motivation can be summed by whether they feel capable of fulfilling a task and if they give importance to the task. Yet, an explanation of instrumentality is also required to understand Edward Scissorhands and his relation to the theory. This term signifies that people feel motivated to do things that will get them closer to their goals. While there are two types of instrumentality, I will focus on the one in which people feel the action is directly related to the procurement of the goal, given it is the only one we see in the actions of the film's main character.  The last definition is performance goals, and these are goals that are related to outcomes outside of oneself as opposed to mastery goals that just focus on internal skill building. Now to connect the theoretical our sci...

Applying the Cognitive Evaluation Theory

 “People are scared of things that are different.” – Edward Scissorhands Blog Post #2 Cognitive Evaluation Theory  Today I will be covering how CET applies to Edward Scissorhands. However, before I apply the theory to the actions of the main character in the film, I have to explain what the theory states. CET is a sub-theory inside the broader Self-Determination Theory and focuses on external and internal motivation. Furthermore, it describes what requirements must be met for someone to become intrinsically motivated, which is more effective in pushing an individual to achieve a task. The three aspects that a person must feel to illicit internal motivation are Autonomy, meaning the belief they control their own actions, competence, meaning they feel they have the capability to achieve their task, lastly relatedness, meaning they feel that they have a group in their environment supporting them and their actions will strengthen their connection to them. Relatedness While related...