SelfAwareness of Thought

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• Self-Awareness of Thought
• COGNITIVE TECHNIQUES

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Self-Awareness of Thought--the Cognitive Self

• Self-Concept
• a. what is it? differentiation b. how do
  we improve it
• c. what are goals for it
• d. how to encourage child to set reasonable
  goals

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Components

• Self-perception shows itself in different domains
  including
• scholastic competence,
• social acceptance,
• athletic competence,
• physical appearance, and
• behavioral conduct.

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Background Self-Talk

• self-verbalization private speech
• w/ a self-regulatory function
• directed at the self
• to ourselves about ourselves
• to others about ourselves
• Schunk (1986)

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Negative Self-Talk

• Everyone engages in some negative self-talk
• Healthy internal dialogue is characterized by a
  balance of 60 positive to 40 negative thought.
• Depressed mood the presence of negative and the
  absence of positive thoughts.
• Missel Sommer (1983)
• Depressed clients
• less positive and more negative
  self-verbalizations than nondepressed clients in
  imagined situations with both negative and
  positive outcomes.

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Application to EBD and LD

• Negative thought becomes self-fulfilling
• encourages feelings of anger, anxiety or
  pessimism.
• feelings color what we say to ourselves next -
  starting us on a downwards spiral.
• the value you place on your head is the price
  people are willing to pay
• example thinking "I'm ugly. Nobody likes me".
• other students will avoid them because of their
  negative prediction.

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Empirical Background Self-Talk

• Cognitive-behavioral packages w/ self-talk more
  than b. mod. increase student's reported
  self-concept--measured by the Piers-Harris.
• (Kendall Braswell, 1982)
• Muscle strength - Resisting a downward pull of
  the arm while making positive or negative
  self-statements Hulnick Hulnick (1989)

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Empirical Background Self-Talk

• 60 of intercollegiate wrestling coaches and 58
  of national Olympic and Pan American coaches
  surveyed encourage positive self-talk to increase
  self-efficacy and improve performance.
• 3rd most frequently used of 13 strategies ranking
  only after instruction, drill, and modeling of
  confidence by the coach. (Gould, Hodge, Peterson,
  Giannini,1989)

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Empirical Background Self-Talk

• Increase of positive produced greater pain
  tolerance (length of time college women would
  keep their hand immersed in ice water). Shumate
  Worthington (1987)
• Negative self-evaluative statements more than
  neutral statements
• produced greater arousal--characterized by higher
  heart and respiratory rates--similar to an
  anxiety state Schuele Wiesenfeld ( 1983)

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Empirical Background Self-Talk

• Meta-analysis 22 studies with a variety of
  strategies including self-talk appeared to result
  in lasting, socially significant changes in
  behavior. Effect size .74.
• Improved
• behavior, reduced impulsivity, and attention
• anger control
• effectiveness of behavior management and social
  skills training
• Reduced
• emotional distress, anxiety, depression,
  suicide Grossman Hughes (1992)

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Assessment

• Interview - self-report Think Aloud
  Techniques "Say aloud everything that goes
  through your head, anything you feel and think
  regardless of how unimportant it may seem to
  you."
• Video Reconstruction Method - Videotape a person
  from the side so they cannot read their own lips
  when viewing. Play it back without sound. Ask
  the person to recall and verbalize what they
  thought, felt and said to themselves.

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Assessment

• Make your own incomplete sentences to focus
  attention to strengths and interests
• (ADD 4 INCOMPLETE SENTENCES TO THIS LIST)
• 1. My friends like me because .....
• 2. What is your best sport?
• 3. What physical feature are you most proud of?
• 4. In what school subject do you feel most
  confident?
• 5. My grandma likes be because I'm ........
• 6. I'm really good at .....
• Younger students or those with very low
  self-esteem may need more guidance.

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Assessment

• Pictures - Fill in the missing bubbles.
• "What is this person saying to themself?" Can be
  written or verbal. "Make up a story about this
  person
• WHAT ARE SOME SELF-STATEMENTS YOU, YOURSELF MAKE?
  LIST THESE.
• WORK SPORTS
• BODY FRIENDS

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Components of Positive Self-Talk Training

• 1. Point out negative self-talk and then
  positive statements that will become part of the
  student's coping skills.
• Positive thoughts can push out negative ones.
• Fill the mind with positive builders like, "I am
  capable, I am a leader, I am fit"
• (Weaver Cotrell, 1985).

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Components of Positive Self-Talk Training

• 2. Specific statements improve specific tasks
  general statement improve performance on general
  tasks (Grossman Hughes, 1992).
• 3. More effective w/ children over 13.
• 4. Beneficial for typically deficient performers
  (e.g.., mentally retarded, learning disabled,
  impulsive) (Shunk, 1986).

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Application Self-Concept Rx

• Joe will formulate a list of at least 16 positive
  self-statements (2 each) representing his
  physical, emotional, social, intellectual,
  spiritual, and familial self. .
• Joe will identify 5 of his personal strengths and
  qualities and share these through art work.
• Joe will identify one personal achievement per
  day for 5 consecutive days.
• Joe will compile a list of 100 of his life
  accomplishments.
• Joe will develop a pride folder of his academic
  successes adding 3 items each week for 6 weeks.
• When beginning a new task, Joe will use positive
  self-talk on three occasions.

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Positive Self-Talk Training

• Affiliation
• Most people like me.
• - There's never anyone to play with. I'm always
  left out.
• Mission
• Yesterday I got 15 spelling words right and
  tomorrow I'm going to go for 17.
• - I don't have any control over my life so why
  should I bother.

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Examples of Positive Self-Talk Training

• A. Self-instruction training (fading from overt
  to covert)
• Meichenbaum and Goodman (1971)
• 1. Model-experimenter performed task talking
  aloud while subject watched
• 2. Student performed task
• while E instructed aloud
• while instructing himself aloud
• whispering to himself
• without lip movement (silent speech)

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Sum Positive Self-Talk improves

• behavior response to skill training
• pain resistance
• motor strength sports performance
• affect
• self-concept
• Decreased emotional distress, suicide

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PROBLEM SOLVING Cognitive Training

• Rules of Engagement
• No criticism allowed for ideas
• Move beyond ideas already offered
• Emphasis on
• skills, such as active listening, effective
  communicating, and perspective taking

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Problem Solving Stages

• (1) Problem Recognition
• (a) recognize a challenge or dilemma exists
• (b) that its an opportunity for growth and not
  a threat
• (c) that it is solvable

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Application Example

• Problem Recognition
• Albert is the victim of a bully.
• The bully corners him in the bathroom, destroying
  his school materials and often making him late
  for class.
• Sometimes the bully makes fun of Albert in front
  of other kids.
• Alberts goal is not to be embarrassed or
  harrassed anymore.

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Problem Solving

• (2) Solution Generation Brainstorming
• identifying a number of different possible
  alternative solutions
• without prematurely dismissing any option

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Application Example

• Solution Generation
• Albert brainstorms the following solutions
• (1) Makes sure he is not in the same place as
  the bully unless there is an adult around,
• (2) Laughs or ignores the bullys behavior,
• (3) Moves to a new school,
• (4) Talks to the bully directly about the
  behavior,
• (5) Fights back

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Problem Solving

• (3) Decision Making Selecting a Plan to
  Enact
• using information generated at the preceding
  stages
• to make a decision about which alternative(s) to
  try using these criteria
• (a) problem resolution,
• (b) emotional well-being,
• (c) amount of time and effort required, and
• (d) overall personal-social well being

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Application Example

• Decision Making Albert
• (1) makes sure hes not in the same place as
  bully
• it is possible to take a restroom break at a
  different time than bully the bus stop is
  another story
• (2) laughing or ignoring bully may get him in
  worse trouble
• (3) moving to a new school is not in his control
• (4) could try talking to bully directly hey,
  maybe a mediator could help!
• (5) fighting back is bound to make matters worse
  for him, while it might earn respect of bully
• Albert decides to try an adult mediator first.

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Components of Problem Solving

• (4) Reviewing the Outcome see if the desired
  outcome was achieved or if another alternative
  should be enacted
• Repetition of the process until individual learns
  to apply entire process independently

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Application Example

• Reviewing the Outcome
• Albert, the bully and adult mediator have agree
  to meet in one week to see how things have gone
  or
• Albert, alone, meets with the adult to evaluate
  the solution. At this point new issues may
  develop such as Alberts true desire to be the
  bullys friend.

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Problem Solving Setting CONFLICT

• 1. CAN HAVE GOOD OR POOR OUTCOMES
• DEPENDS ON TYPE OF CONTEXT (COMPETITIVE OR
  COOPERATIVE)
• 2. NECESSARY FOR LEARNING COOPERATION

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A WORD ABOUT CONFLICT

• A problem is defined as a goal and a
  relationship
• 1. about reaching ones goals
• 2. about maintaining an appropriate relationship
  with the other person
• Degree of importance to each determines
  strategies used
• THE KEY Individuals ability to diagnose
  importance of goals and relationships

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• WHEN GOAL AND RELATIONSHIP EQUALLY IMPORTANT
  negotiation ensures both parties fully achieve
  goals and tensions resolved
• BOTH MODERATELY IMPORTANT AND BOTH CANT GET WHAT
  THEY WANT compromise by both sacrificing
  
• GOAL NOT IMPORTANT, BUT RELATIONSHIP REALLY IS
  smoothing one or both give up goal

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• NEITHER GOAL NOR RELATIONSHIP IMPORTANT
  withdraw one or both give up both goal and avoid
  relationship
• GOAL IMPORTANT, RELATIONSHIP NOT force or
  win-lose outcome

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STEPS OF NEGOTIATION Teaching Students to Be
Peacemakers Program

• 1. State what you want
• 2. State how you feel
• 3. State the reasons underlying your wants and
  feelings
• 4. State your understanding of the others want,
  feelings and reasons
• 5. State 3 potential agreements that will
  maximize joint gain, and which one you would
  agree to
• 6. Formalize the agreement process

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Problem-Solving and Elliss A-B-C Model of
Maladaptive Arousal

• A refers to a real life event or antecedent
• B refers to the thoughts that might ensue
• C refers to the emotional/behavioral
  consequences
• Individuals are likely to attribute C to A,
  instead of true cause B (perceptions of event)

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Distortions of Thought

• Delusional and Jumping To Conclusions
  (JTC)--grandiosity
• Bias of perception based on experience (failure,
  rejection, hostility)

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Examples of Irrational Ideas (Ellis, RET)

• That its necessary for the individual to be
  loved or approved of by every other person
• That one should be thoroughly competent,
  adequate, and achieving in all possible
  respects
• That certain people are bad, wicked, or
  villainous and should be severely blamed and
  punished for this

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Examples Irrational Ideas

• 4. That its awful and catastrophic when things
  are not the way one wants them to be
• 5. That human unhappiness is externally caused
  and people have little or no ability to control
  their sorrows and disturbance
• 6. That if something is or may be dangerous or
  fearsome, one should be concerned and dwell on
  the possibility of its occurrence

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Examples Irrational Ideas

• 7. That it is easier to avoid than face certain
  life difficulties and self-responsibilities
• 8. That one should be dependent on others and
  need someone stronger on whom to rely
• 9. That ones past history is an all-important
  determiner of ones present behavior
• 10. That there is invariably a right, precise,
  and perfect solution to problems

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Rational Emotive Therapy

• Overall Treatment involves
• (1) Identify persons past and present
  illogical thinking and self-defeating remarks, OR
  IRRATIONAL IDEA
• (2) Show how these irrational ideas cause and
  maintain the disturbance,
• (3) Identify logical links in internalized
  sentences, and
• (4) Teach how to rethink and reverbalize these
  internalized thoughts

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Application RET

• IDENTIFY
• (1) the Problem
• (My mom and I dont get along.)
• (2) the Antecedent
• (My mom and I fight about my schoolwork.)
• (3) the Consequence (negative thought- a feeling)
• (I get angry. I feel like I hate her!)
• (4) the Connected Belief (I dont do well at
  school anyhow, so what does it matter if I do my
  homework or not? If I cant be perfect, why
  bother?)

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Application Steps

• (5) Dispute the Negative Thought by Analyzing
  its Validity Based on Logic or Evidence
• (Am I really a failure at all schoolwork, or just
  some of it? Do I think schoolwork should be easy
  the first time around? Who says I have to be
  perfect at everything? Is everyone perfect?)
• (6) Rebuild/Restructure Thought Processes by
  Identifying Alternative, Incompatible, But
  Realistic Thoughts
• (Maybe Ill never be perfect at this particular
  subject, but I can improve with a little work.)

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