Lecture 4: Sacrificial Goals Flashcards
challenges of elite gymnasts
Many young female gymnasts end up socially immune, physically stunted, prone to depression, and suffering from eating disorders
Joan Ryan on gymnastics
gymnastics can be fun recreationally but elite gymnastics can become dangerous because it results in too much self-discipline
Kerry Strug and the goal medal
While seriously injured and knowing an intensely painful and possibly harmful experience was awaiting her, Strug still had to execute a strenuous and demanding routine with world-class skill
transcendence
seeing beyond the immediate stimulus environment by focusing on more long-range goals that are higher in value
higher value goals involve:
- Longer time spans
- More extensive networks of meaningful associations
- More distal and abstract goals
religion and self-control
Religious practices can help children and adolescents develop more self-control
self-regulation of elite gymnastics
- No hanging out
- No TV watching
- No going on dates
- No spontaneous, uncontrolled eating
- No giving in to minor injuries
Baumeister’s account of self-control
- Difficulties with self-control either involve under-regulation or misregulation
- But, we can’t over-regulate self-control
under-regulation
not having standards, monitoring, or self-regulatory strength
what is the most common kind of difficulty people experience with self-control?
Under-regulation
misregulation
exerting self-control in a way that fails to bring about the desired results because the efforts are misguided or wasted
types of misregulation
- Misunderstood contingencies: When individuals incorrectly perceive or interpret the relationship between their actions and the outcomes they experience. (ex. Unrequited love)
- Trying to control the uncontrollable (ex. Choking in a performance setting)
what would Baumeister say about Keri Strug’s self-control?
he would call it ideal self-control
the humanistic perspective on self-control
considers whether the pursuit of goal support leads to:
1) Holistic functioning
2) Self-actualization
3) Basic need satisfaction
Sheldon 2010 goal pursuit and need satisfaction study
found that goal progress results in enhanced well-being only if goal pursuit is associated with basic need satisfaction (autonomy, relatedness, and competence)
circumstance goal
a neutral goal to improve one’s circumstances
what would a humanist say about Keri Strug’s self-control?
Kerri Strug’s performance is an example of excessive self-control but she was just doing what she was trained to do
retired gymnasts study method
- Structured interviews with 5 elite British women gymnasts
- Mean age= 24
- Competed nationally or internationally
- Retired at 16
- Practice 30 hours per week at their peak
retired gymnasts study findings
Found that all of the girls looked back on their gymnastic days with regret and were left feeling lost and helpless when they retired
retired gymnasts reported that during their gymnastics career, they:
- Lived for gymnastics
- Were gymnasts vs. people who do gymnastics
- Experienced eternal pressure to strive for perfection
- Were seen as dispensable tools
The Story of Shun Fujimoto
- Fujimoto landed the parallel bars with an injured leg, which he ended up breaking
- This is idealized as exercising good self-control
Kerri Strug’s autobiography
Sheds light on additional motivations, including her older sister & parental encouragement to relax
Holding et al. longitudinal career goals study method
conducted a 6-wave longitudinal study of young adults’ sacrifice of basic needs in pursuit of career goals in 2020
Holding et al. longitudinal career goals study variables
- Sacrifices for these goals (maintenance activities, leisure activities, psychological needs)
- Antecedents of sacrifice (motivations for career, motivations for sacrifice)
- Outcomes (goal progress, psychological distress)
- Mediator (frustration over a year)
