Republic of the Philippines

CATANDUANES STATE UNIVERSITY

College of Arts and Sciences
Virac, Catanduanes

G
E
C
1
2
 UNDERSTANDING THE
SELF

DISCLAIMER

This learning material is used in compliance with the flexible teaching-learning approach espoused by
CHED in response to the pandemic that has globally affected educational institutions. Authors and
publishers of the contents are well acknowledged. As such the college and its faculty do not claim
ownership of all sourced information. This learning material will solely be used for instructional
purposes not for commercialization.

CatSU College of Arts and Sciences

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 FACULTY PROFILE

ELEANOR G. OSIDO
Assistant Professor II
Address: Rawis, Virac, Catanduanes
Contact Number: 0947865640
Email Address: [email protected]

OMARTHONY B. LLAVE
Instructor I
Address: Cabcab, San Andres, Catanduanes
Contact Number: 09473059277
Email Address: [email protected]

KRISTINE BABIE M. REYES

Instructor I
Address: Calatagan, Virac Catanduanes
Contact Number: 09082292459
Email Address: [email protected]

FLORYMAE L. EUBRA
Instructor I
Address: Del Sur, Pandan, Catanduanes
Contact Number: 09493009652
Email Address: [email protected]

ROSE ANN M. ARCILLA

Instructor I
Address: Calatagan Tibang, Virac, Catanduanes

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 Contact Number: 09301945250
Email Address: [email protected]

OVERVIEW OF THE MODULE

This learning material is designed for the course GEC 1. The purpose of this module is to provide you
with basic and fundamental ideas and significant understanding of the different concepts in
Psychology.

For you to be able to acquire significant understanding of the course concepts, the content of this
course is divided into several modules for you to learn even at your own pace. For the midterm period,
the modules are:

Module 1 – THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES

Module 2 – THE SELF IN THE ADOLESCENCE STAGE

Module 3 – THE SELF IN THE SOCIAL SETTING

Module 1 provides information about knowing one’s self. In this module you will be able to learn how
selves is seen in different perspectives. It will also tackle different aspect and relations of humanity
which is an important aspect in every well-being.

Module 2 is all about the different representations of the self. This module dealt with the physical
aspect primarily an adolescent's brain and sexuality. It also tackles the importance of each milestones
or developmental tasks on the maturity during adolescence as well as the essence of material and
digital self.

Module 3 presents a discussion of the self in different social set ups. Specifically Bio ecological
Systems, individualism and collectivism, Looking Glass Self, Joharis window of the self.

For the final coverage, the modules are:

Module 4 – THE SELF IN THE LEARNING PROCESS

Module 5 – THE SELF IN THE EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE

Module 6 – THE SELF IN THE SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS

Module 7 – THE SELF IN FACING CHALLENGES

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Module 4 discusses about learning; its basic elements and theories. You will gain information on the
various stages of memory and certain techniques to improve memory. This module furthermore
represents the nature of intelligence and its theories.

Module 5 examines the process of emotional development, the significance of emotional regulation
and the common emotion regulation strategies.

Module 6 focuses on an individual's personality domains, types and determinants. This module also
concentrates with Big Five Personality Factors, Dweck's Core Attitudes, Duckworth's Grit and
Success, Seligman's Positive Psychology and Harvard's Life Satisfaction associating with
adolescents' view of success and happiness.

Module 7 follows on how the selves face challenges. This final unit of the module include types of
stress and how to manage it.

The module is self-instructional. You can read, analyze concepts and ideas presented and reflect on
them. To facilitate easy understanding of the course, each module consists of:

 Overview that provides you with a general information on the module content;
 Key terms that you need to know to understand the lessons;
 Module outline/map for you to see the sequence of lessons covered by the module
 Read me section/discussion of the different lessons consisting the module;
 Exercises for every end of the lessons;
 Synthesis to conclude or generalize the main ideas presented;
 References which contains the list of all sources used in developing the module.

Your answers on Exercises should be written on a long coupon bond attached on a colored folder
(portfolio). You may submit it through email or messenger.

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 BRIEF CONTENTS

UNIT 1 THE SELF IN DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE

TOOL NO.1 Rationalism and Empiricism

TOOL NO.2 Mentalism, Behaviorism, and Humanism
TOOL NO.3 Nature and Nurture
TOOL NO.4 The 3 Domains of Human Development

UNIT 2 THE SELF IN THE ADOLESCENT STAGE

TOOL NO.1 The Physical Aspects of the Self

TOOL NO.2 The Sexual Aspects of the Self
TOOL NO.3 Developmental Tasks of Adolescence
TOOL NO.4 Material Self and Digital Self

UNIT 3 THE SELF IN THE SOCIAL SETTING

TOOL NO.1 Bronfenbrenner’s Bio-ecological Systems

TOOL NO.2 Individualism and Collectivism
TOOL NO.3 Cooley’s The Looking Glass Self
TOOL NO.4 Johari’s Window of the Self

UNIT 4 SELF IN THE LEARNING PROCESS

TOOL NO.1 Learning, Memory and Intelligence

TOOL NO.2 Bandura’s Social Learning Theory
TOOL NO.3 Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence

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UNIT 5 THE SELF IN THE EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES

TOOL NO.1 Emotions and Emotional Regulations

TOOL NO.2 Emotional Intelligence

UNIT 6 THE SELF IN THE SUCCESS AND HAPINESS

TOOL NO.1 Personality

TOOL NO.2 Dweck’s Core Attitudes
TOOL NO.3 Duckworth’s Grit and Success
TOOL NO.4 Seligman’s Positive Psychology
TOOL NO.5 Harvard’s Study on Life Satisfaction

UNIT 7 THE SELF IN FACING CHALLENGES

TOOL NO.1 Managing Stress

TOOL NO.2 Self-efficacy and Social Support

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 Tools in Understanding the Self
for filipino college students

Psychology- is the science of human behavior and mental processes.

Orientation
| Social Sciences Department | June 10, 2020

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 College is a journey. To some of you, a small happy journey is called a “road trip” or a
“joyride”. Before we ride our bikes or cars, we make sure that our vehicle can last the long road and
that our driving skills will keep us safe on the road. Just like a joyride, college life requires you to have
the right positioning or orientation about your trip even as you are yet to discover the exciting things
along the way. Let us take a 360-roadtrip in the world of college, a joyride for your future.

As a college student, you must know that entering the university means choosing a course
which will train you to master the knowledge and the skills required to realize your professional
dreams and lifelong plans. While there are various courses and subjects taught in the university,
remember that the approaches of education in dealing with knowledge and skills can be categorized
into four major disciplines. When we say discipline, that means a teaching by which a student or a
follower live by; as in disciples which means followers. You, as a student of the university, shall follow
the instructions of the school and the teachings of your course in order to master the tasks of your
industry. If you are an engineering student, for example, you shall live by the skills and standards you
learn from the science of engineering in order to be recognized and registered as a professional
engineer.

Most often, having a discipline means an adherence to the teachings as a way of life.

The Disciplines of Knowledge in Education

Let us understand now which discipline your chosen course belongs to. The four major
disciplines of knowledge are Arts, Religion, Philosophy, and Science. All these disciplines are “bodies
of knowledge” or organized collection and presentation of information. They have their own principles
and approaches in dealing with knowledge and reality.

Arts is an expression of human experiences projected or told in creative ways like painting,
sculpture, architecture, designs, acting, dance act, storytelling, etc. It requires from its students the
skills in what the human body and intellect can do to express or immortalize the human spirit and
imagination. The purpose of artistic expression is to show an idea or experience in a way that is
unique, pleasing, and appreciable to oneself or to other people. Literature, Fine Arts, Interior Design,
and Creative Writing are examples of Arts courses in college.

Philosophy literally means love of wisdom. Based from observation and speculation about
things and events, philosophers were able to explain human experiences and beliefs with the use of
reason. To them, the knowledge of reality is validated by our innate ability to grasp the truth.
(Although not anymore under Philosophy and now an independent discipline, Mathematics or our
mathematical ability is one of the functions of reason that is abstract—a reality that is purely
intellectual and immaterial.) Logic and Ethics are some of the subjects in college that are under the
discipline of Philosophy.

Religion is the human attempt to reconnect to the divine or the Creator. It uses faith, or a
strong belief that is supported by reason, in grasping the idea of the unseen power. (Religious
subjects are taught in some private and sectarian schools. Public schools and State Universities and
Colleges (SUCs) are legally bound by the principle of the Separation of Church and State contained in
the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines so they do not offer religious courses.)

Science is the systematized body of knowledge based on observation and

experimentation. It is the discipline that separated from Philosophy and Religion in order to establish
a definite understanding of reality based on experience acquired and verified by the human
senses. A student of Science must be able to explain or prove the reality of a matter or an event
based on observable evidences and from the scientific laws already established in the field of
Science.

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 As a discipline, Science aims to describe, explain, predict, and modify the matters and
events of the universe, living or non-living, in promoting progress. It uses the Scientific Method as
the only process of investigating matters and phenomena (natural or social events). Most courses in
college belong to Science like engineering, nursing, biology, technical-vocational or technological
courses, economics, political science, etc.

For this particular subject, Understanding the Self, using the book “Tools in Understanding the
Self”, our approach will mostly use the discipline of Science and some teachings from Arts and
Philosophy in enriching your knowledge of your “Self” and, therefore, in developing yourself into the
person you want to be.

Tools in Understanding the Self

The topics in this book are designed according to the developmental characteristics of late
adolescence, or the college age. They are presented in an order that will help you discover your
“Self”. We start by understanding the concept of the “Self” and then delve into the basic knowledge of
the characteristic traits of adolescence, or what you are today, and later we advance to learning the
skills in improving or “reinventing” yourself.

Our main objective is to know our strengths and weaknesses, and to find opportunities to
learn from them and improve. Simply put, you must aim to have a more effective control of your
thoughts, emotions, and actions to bring yourself into a personal transformation leading to success,
happiness, and wholeness.

Here in this book, we emphasize the importance of tools. When what the human body can do
reached its limits, we humans invented tools. Unable to see the tiniest living organism, Leeuwenhoek
created his own microscope and discovered bacteria. Unable to see the farthest object, Galileo used
the telescope to explore the stellar and planetary movements of the universe.

In this book, each module is labeled as a tool so that we remember that what we learn from
each module must be utilized or applied in real life. You may be the best surgeon in town, but without
your medical tools, you can do nothing. You may be a good sculptor, but without your hammer and
chisel, you can do nothing.

What are the intellectual tools we need in order to understand and change our lives?
Remember, tools are extensions of our capabilities and, in life, we have to use tools to make things
work.

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UNIT THE SELF IN THE SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS
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Module Overview:
Knowing oneself is power! Self-awareness or knowing oneself is one of the cornerstones for
happiness and success in life. Without good awareness, people often pursue the WRONG CAREER
(usually because it pays well or it’s easy to do),get in a relationship with wrong person, struggle with
indecisiveness and low self-confidence, and generally find themselves just going along with things.

According to Ingrid Bergman “Success is getting what you want; happiness is wanting what
you get.”

The aim of this chapter is to understand the meaning of personality, to know the determinants
affecting personality as well as provide concept on how a person can achieve success and happiness.

TOOL BOX
Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to
success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.
-Albert Schweitzer

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this unit, the students must be able to:

o Define personality and identify its domains, types and determinants;

o Describe what constitutes the Big Five Personality factors;

o Identify Core Attitudes and their implications to one’s growth and development;

o Explain the importance of Positive Psychology; and

o Discuss Harvard’s Study on Life Satisfaction.

Module Map:

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 Self Success
and Happiness

DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS:

PERSONALITY- is the collective qualities, characteristics, disposition and values of a person which
distinguish him/her from others

COGNITION- mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought,
experience, and the senses.

BEHAVIOR- is the actions and mannerisms made by individuals, organisms, systems or artificial
entities in conjunction with themselves or their environment

PERSONALIY TYPES- are any of the specific categories into which human beings may be classified
on the basis of personality traits, attitudes, behavior patterns, physique or other outstanding
characteristics.

EXTRAVERT- individual who enjoy more frequent social interaction, and feel energized after
spending time with other people.

INTROVERT- individual who tend to be thought-oriented, enjoy deep and meaningful social
interactions, and feel recharged after spending time alone.

CONSCIENTIOUSNESS- the tendency to show self-discipline, act dutifully, and aim for achievement
against measures or outside expectations.

NEUROTICISM- is the tendency to experience negative emotions, such as anger, anxiety, or

depression.
ATTITUDE- a relatively stable and enduring predisposition to behave or react in a certain way toward
persons, objects, institutions, or issues.

MINDSET- refers to a mental attitude or inclination.

GRIT- is about working on something you care about so much that you’re willing to stay loyal to it.

TOOL No. 1: Personality

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 Personality can be descried as: the collective qualities, characteristics, disposition and values
of a person which distinguish him/her from others, and which will affect the manners he/she reacts
toward or interacts with other people and his/her environment. The word personality comes from the
Latin word persona. In the ancient world, a persona was a mask worn by an actor. While we tend to
think of a mask as being worn to conceal one’s identity, the theatrical mask was originally used to
either represent or project a specific personality trait of a character (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Happy, sad, impatient, shy, fearful, curious, helpful. What characteristics describe
your personality?

 A person’s personality should be seen as on-going development.

 Every person has a different personality and set of traits.

Personality Domains
1. Cognition (Think/ Brain) – knowledge and belief

It is the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through

thought, experience, and the senses.

2. Emotion (Feel/ Heart) - Social- Emotional Aspects and Attitude

This include the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary for youth to recognize and
control their emotions and behaviors; establish and maintain positive relationships; makes
responsible decisions and solve challenging situations; and set and achieve positive goals.

3. Behavior (Behave/ Hands and Feet) – Behavioral Efficacy

It is the actions and mannerisms made by individuals, organisms, systems or artificial

entities in conjunction with themselves or their environment, which includes the other systems
or organisms around as well as the physical environment.

PERSONALITY TYPES. According to American Psychological Association, personality

types are any of the specific categories into which human beings may be classified on the basis of
personality traits, attitudes, behavior patterns, physique or other outstanding characteristics.

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 The Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator is a self-report inventory designed to
identify a person's personality type, strengths, and preferences. The questionnaire was
developed by Isabel Myers and her mother Katherine Briggs based on their work with Carl
Jung's theory of personality types. Today, the MBTI inventory is one of the most widely used
psychological instruments in the world.

Both Myers and Briggs were fascinated by Jung's theory of psychological types and
recognized that the theory could have real-world applications. During World War II, they began
researching and developing an indicator that could be utilized to help understand individual
differences. By helping people understand themselves, Myers and Briggs believed that they
could help people select occupations that were best suited to their personality types and lead
healthier, happier lives.

4 Different Scales of Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator:

1. Extraversion (E) – Introversion (I)

Extraverts are "outward-turning" and tend to be action-oriented, enjoy more frequent social
interaction, and feel energized after spending time with other people. Introverts are "inward-turning"
and tend to be thought-oriented, enjoy deep and meaningful social interactions, and feel recharged
after spending time alone.

2. Sensing (S) – Intuition (N)

It involves looking at how people gather information from the world around them. People who
prefer sensing tend to pay a great deal of attention to reality, particularly to what they can learn from
their own senses. They tend to focus on facts and details and enjoy getting hands-on experience.
Those who prefer intuition pay more attention to things like patterns and impressions. They enjoy
thinking about possibilities, imagining the future, and abstract theories.

3. Thinking (T) – Feeling (F)

This scale focuses on how people make decisions based on the information that they
gathered from their sensing or intuition functions. People who prefer thinking place a greater
emphasis on facts and objective data.

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They tend to be consistent, logical, and impersonal when weighing a decision. Those who prefer
feeling are more likely to consider people and emotions when arriving at a conclusion.

4. Judging (J) – Perceiving (P)

The final scale involves how people tend to deal with the outside world. Those who lean toward
judging prefer structure and firm decisions. People who lean toward perceiving are more open,
flexible, and adaptable. These two tendencies interact with the other scales.

Remember, all people at least spend some time extraverting. The judging-perceiving scale helps
describe whether you extravert when you are taking in new information (sensing and intuiting) or
when you are making decisions (thinking and feeling).

Determinants of Personality

 Biological Factors

1. Brain – Brain is one of the most important factors of personality determinant. It is

generally believed that child inherit 40-60% of their mother’s intellects or brain
stimulation. And the rest are the result of the environment in which the child has
been grown up.

2. Physical Factors – Another factor is physical characteristics of an individual. It is

believed that this factor plays a vital role in determining one’s behavior in any
organization. Example: height of a person (short or tall), color (white or black), his
health status (fat or skinny) and his beauty (handsome or ugly). Physical factors
are involved when interacting with any other person and thus contribute in the
personality development in many ways.

3. Heredity Factors – Lastly, the heredity factors play a very important role as a
major determinants and factors of personality. It is the one that determined at the
time of conception. These factors does not only affect the physical features of a
person, but also the intelligence level, attentiveness, gender, temperament,
various inherited diseases as well as the energy level.

 Social Influences

Social Influences also plays a vital role in determining one’s personality. The things
that surround us on a regular basis determine of who we are. The society that we live in,
cultural environment that we face daily, the community we get interacted to, are all included in
this factor.

Relationships with family, friends, colleagues, neighbors and societies, all contribute
in a way or another in personality determinants.

 Cultural and Religious Factors

The culture in which one lives in, that may involve traditional practices, norms,
customs, procedures, rules and regulations, precedents and values, all are important
determinants of personality.

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 Moreover, the creed, religion and believes are also very important factors of
personality determinants.

 Situational Factors

Although these factors do not literally create and shape-up an individual’s personality,
situational factors do alter a person’s behavior and response from time to time. Situational
factors can be commonly observes when person behaves contrastingly and exhibits different
traits and characteristics. For example, a person’s behavior is totally different when he is in
front of his boss, compared when hanging-out with his friends.

In this way, situational factors impact a personality in a significant way. They often
bring-out the traits of person that is not commonly seen.

The Big Five Personality Factors

In psychological trait theory, the Big Five personality traits, also known as the five-factor
model (FFM) and the OCEAN model, is a suggested taxonomy, or grouping,
for personality trait developed from the 1980s onwards. When factor analysis (a statistical technique)
is applied to personality survey data, it reveals semantic associations: some words used to describe
aspects of personality are often applied to the same person. For example, someone described
as conscientious is more likely to be described as "always prepared" rather than "messy". These
associations suggest five broad dimensions used in common language to describe the
human personality and psyche.

The Big Five model resulted from the contributions of many independent researchers.

1. Gordon Allport and Henry Odbert first formed a list of 4,500 terms relating to personality traits
in 1936 (Vinney, 2018). Their work provided the foundation for other psychologists to begin
determining the basic dimensions of personality.
2. In the 1940s, Raymond Cattell and his colleagues used factor analysis (a statistical method)
to narrow down Allport’s list to sixteen traits. However, numerous psychologists examined
Cattell’s list and found that it could be further reduced to five traits. Among these
psychologists were Donald Fiske, Norman, Smith, Goldberg, and McCrae & Costa (Cherry,
2019).

In particular, Lewis Goldberg advocated heavily for five primary factors of personality
(Ackerman, 2017). His work was expanded upon by McCrae & Costa, who confirmed the model’s
validity and provided the model used today: conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism,
openness to experience, and extraversion.

The model became known as the “Big Five” and has seen received much attention. It has
been researched across many populations and cultures and continues to be the most widely accepted
theory of personality today.

Each of the Big Five personality traits represents extremely broad categories which cover
many personality-related terms. Each trait encompasses a multitude of other facets.

For example, the trait of Extraversion is a category that contains labels such as
Gregariousness (sociable), Assertiveness (forceful), Activity (energetic), Excitement-seeking
(adventurous), Positive emotions (enthusiastic), and Warmth (outgoing) (John & Srivastava, 1999).

Therefore, the Big Five while not completely exhaustive, cover virtually all personality-related
terms.

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The theory identifies five factors:

The five factors are abbreviated in the acronyms OCEAN or CANOE. Beneath each proposed
global factor, there are a number of correlated and more specific primary factors. For
example, extraversion is typically associated with qualities such as gregariousness,
assertiveness, excitement-seeking, warmth, activity, and positive emotions.

Family life and upbringing will affect these traits. Twin studies and other research have shown
that about half of the variation between individuals results from their genetic inheritance and half from
their environment. Researchers have found conscientiousness, extraversion, openness to experience,
and neuroticism to be relatively stable from childhood through adulthood.

The Big Five Personality Factors Openness to Experience

 Openness to experience refers to
OPENNESS to Experience one’s willingness to try new things as well as
engage in imaginative and intellectual
activities. It includes the ability to “think
outside of the box.”
Conscientiousness  If you’re curious of how and why
things work, and are keen to uncover
explanations, then you’re four times more
Extraversion likely to succeed than your closed-off
classmates.
 In business settings, openness is a
AGREEABLENESS strong predictor of who will become and
succeed as a leader.

NEUROTICISM
Openness vs. Closedness to Experience
Those who score high on openness to experience are perceived as creative and artistic. They
prefer variety and value independence. They are curious about their surroundings and enjoy traveling
and learning new things.

People who score low on openness to experience prefer routine. They are uncomfortable with
change and trying new things so they prefer the familiar over the unknown. As they are practical
people, they often find it difficult to think creatively or abstractly.

Conscientiousness
 Tendency to show self-discipline, act dutifully, and aim for achievement against measures or
outside expectations.
 Conscientious people are excellent at planning ahead.
 Grit may be related to conscientiousness.
 The conscientious person is going to have a plan. Even if there is a failure, they’re going to
have a plan to deal with that failure.
 Conscientiousness is the best predictor of both personal and professional success. It’s also
the strongest predictor of leadership

Conscientiousness vs. Lack of Direction

Those who score high on conscientiousness can be described as organized, disciplined,
detail-oriented, thoughtful, and careful. They also have good impulse control, which allows them to
complete tasks and achieve goals.

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 Those who score low on conscientiousness may struggle with impulse control, leading to
difficulty in completing tasks and fulfilling goals.

They tend to be more disorganized and may dislike too much structure. They may also engage in
more impulsive and careless behavior.

Extraversion
 Extraverts enjoy interacting with people, and are often perceived as full of energy.
 Extraversion is another strong predictor of who will become a leader- although new
researcher shows introverts can be as successful a leader as the extraverts.

Extraversion vs. Introversion

Those high on extraversion are generally assertive, sociable, fun-loving, and outgoing. They
thrive in social situations and feel comfortable voicing their opinions. They tend to gain energy and
become excited from being around others.

Those who score low in extraversion are often referred to as introverts. These people tend to
be more reserved and quieter. They prefer listening to others rather than needing to be heard.

Introverts often need periods of solitude in order to regain energy as attending social events
can be very tiring for them. Of importance to note is that introverts do not necessarily dislike social
events, but instead find them tiring.

Agreeableness

 Agreeable people are generally considerate, kind, generous, trusting and trustworthy,
helpful, and willing to compromise their interests with others.
 Agreeable people also have an optimistic view of human nature.
 Agreeable people tend to be happier, possibly because they try to avoid negative
experiences.

Agreeableness vs. Antagonism

Those high in agreeableness can be described as soft-hearted, trusting, and well-liked. They
are sensitive to the needs of others and are helpful and cooperative. People regard them as
trustworthy and altruistic.

Those low in agreeableness may be perceived as suspicious, manipulative, and

uncooperative. They may be antagonistic when interacting with others, making them less likely to be
well-liked and trusted.

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Neuroticism

 Tendency to experience negative emotions, such as anger, anxiety, or depression.

 It is something called emotional instability.
 Those who score high in neuroticism are emotionally reactive.
 Neurotic people may show poor performance both in school and work.
 Neurotic people experience difficulty in maintaining satisfying relationships.

Neuroticism vs. Emotional Stability

Those who score high on neuroticism often feel anxious, insecure and self-pitying. They are
often perceived as moody and irritable. They are prone to excessive sadness and low self-esteem.

Those who score low on neuroticism are more likely to calm, secure and self-satisfied. They
are less likely to be perceived as anxious or moody. They are more likely to have high self-esteem
and remain resilient.

Stability of the Traits

People’s scores of the Big Five remain relatively stable for most of their life with some slight
changes from childhood to adulthood. A study by Soto & John (2012) attempted to track the
developmental trends of the Big Five traits.

They found that overall agreeableness and conscientiousness increased with age. There was
no significant trend for extraversion overall although gregariousness decreased and assertiveness
increased.

Openness to experience and neuroticism decreased slightly from adolescence to middle

adulthood. The researchers concluded that there were more significant trends in specific facets (i.e.
adventurousness and depression) rather than in the Big Five traits overall.

Women reported themselves to be higher in Neuroticism, Agreeableness, Warmth (a facet of

Extraversion), and Openness to Feelings compared to men. Men reported themselves to be higher in
Assertiveness (a facet of Extraversion) and Openness to Ideas.
Another interesting finding was that bigger gender differences were reported in Western, industrialized
countries. Researchers proposed that the most plausible reason for this finding was attribution
processes.

They surmised that actions of women in individualistic countries would be more likely to be
attributed to her personality whereas actions of women in collectivistic countries would be more likely
to be attributed to their compliance with gender role norms.

TOOL No. 2: Dweck’s Core Attitudes

We are often believed that the only way to succeed is to be blessed with an exceptional IQ.
But according to researches, personality traits and attitudes are more accurate predictors of success
than intellects.

According to psychologist Carol Dweck, people’s core attitudes can be categorized into two:

1. Growth Mindset
2. Fixed Mindset

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Growth Mindset

A growth mindset is “the understanding that abilities and understanding can be developed”
(Mindset Works, n.d.).Those with a growth mindset believe that they can get smarter, more intelligent,
and more talented through putting in time and EFFORT. Even when they have lower IQ, they
outperform those with a fixed mindset, because they embrace challenges, treating them as
opportunities to learn something new.

It’s easy to see examples of a growth mindset in students. Those with a growth mindset are
apt to see challenges as a natural part of the learning process. They work harder and smarter, helping
them to learn and achieve more than students with a fixed mindset.

Students with a growth mindset may display behaviors like:

 Asking the teacher to demonstrate a new way to do a math problem

 Volunteering answers in class even when unsure
 Asking a question even if it might seem basic or “stupid”
 Seeking out problems that will push them instead of problems that keep them safely within
their comfort zone (Character Lab, n.d.)

It may seem like a growth mindset is hard to see in adults, since they’re not in a constant learning
environment—or are they? That perspective on the environment is a clear-cut example of a growth
mindset vs. fixed. Those with a growth mindset are more likely to see every environment as a learning
environment and scan for opportunities to improve their skills and enhance their knowledge.

For specific examples, John Rhodes (2015) shares a few scenarios that typify a growth mindset in
adults:

Example: Running late and missing the bus or carpool

You’ve certainly been here before: your alarm doesn’t go off (or maybe you hit snooze a few
too many times) and you oversleep. You jump out of bed and race into your clothes, skipping any part
of your morning ritual that isn’t completely necessary before racing outside to catch the bus. As you
run to the street, you see the bus pulling away and you know you’re going to be late.

For someone with a fixed mindset, this scenario might just ruin their whole day. They may feel
angry with themselves or look for someone or something else to blame.

On the other hand, someone with a growth mindset is more likely to think about the root
cause of the mess they’re in and consider how to avoid it next time. They may conclude that they
need to go to bed earlier tonight, or set their alarm a little bit louder. The point is, the person with a
growth mindset will think about ways to fix the problem because they believe it is fixable.

Fixed Mindset

On the flipside, a fixed mindset is one that assumes abilities and understanding are relatively
fixed. Those with a fixed mindset may not believe that intelligence can be enhanced, or that you either
“have it or you don’t” when it comes to abilities and talents. This creates problems when challenged
because anything that appears to e more than you can handle is bound to make you feel hopeless
and overwhelmed.

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WHAT IS THE MAIN DIFFERENCE (GROWTH MINDSET VS. FIXED)?

The main difference between the two mindsets is the belief in the permanence of intelligence
and ability; one views it as very permanent, with little to no room for change in either direction, while
the other views it as more changeable, with opportunities for improvement (or, for that matter,
regression).

This difference in mindset may lead to marked differences in behavior as well. If someone
believes intelligence and abilities are immutable traits, they are not likely to put in much effort to
change their inherent intelligence and abilities. On the other hand, those who believe they can change
these traits may be much more willing to put in extra time and effort to achieve more ambitious
goals. With a growth mindset, individuals may achieve more than others because they are worrying
less about seeming smart or talented and putting more of their energy into learning (Dweck, 2016).

Misconceptions encountered by Dweck about Growth Mindset:

1. “I already have it, and I always have.” Dweck warns that a growth mindset is not simply
being open-minded or optimistic or practicing flexible thinking; it’s more specific than that.
2. “A growth mindset is just about praising and rewarding effort.” Although praising and
rewarding effort is generally a good idea, it must be undertaken with an eye on outcomes as
well. Effort that is unproductive is not to be rewarded, and learning and progress should also
be met with praise.
3. “Just espouse a growth mindset, and good things will happen.” Espousing a growth
mindset is a positive step that can lead to positive outcomes, but it’s not a guarantee; the
mindset needs to be backed up with effort applied to worthwhile activities, and even then
success is not inevitable (Dweck, 2016).

The growth mindset will lead you to new skills, new knowledge, and new areas of
expertise, while the fixed mindset will leave you about where you started—with little skill in the
task at hand and little confidence in your abilities.

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 TOOL No. 3: Duckworth's Grit and Success

“What we eventually accomplish may depend

more on our passion and perseverance than on
our innate talent.”

“Skill is not the same thing as achievement,

either. Without effort, your talent is nothing more
than your unmet potential. Without effort, your
skill is nothing more than what you could have
done but didn’t. With effort, talent becomes skill
and, at the very same time, effort makes skill
productive.”

What is Grit?

 GRIT is about working on something

you care about so much that you’re
willing to stay loyal to it…it’s doing what
you love, but not just falling in love –
staying in love.
 GRIT is passion and perseverance for long-term goals. It’s not talent, not luck, nor how
intensely you want something as of the moment.
 GRIT may matter as much, if not, more than Talent. Talent and luck is important for success
but is not a guarantee of GRIT.
 GRIT alone may not be sufficient for success but sure is necessary.

What is Talent?

Talent is specifically the rate at which a person improves in skill.

TALENT X EFFORT = SKILL

SKILL X EFFORT = ACHIEVEMENT

According to Duckworth’s formula, TALENT counts ONCE but EFFORT counts TWICE

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 The Refrain of all paragons of
Who is Successful and Why? grit:

Successful people are not just those talented

ones. Successful people are those who have the
passion and perseverance to reach their goals. They
“Whatever it takes, I want to
are those individuals who LOVE WHAT THEY DO. improve!”
We’ve always heard it over again, FOLLOW your
PASSION. If you enjoy what you do, you will be more
It doesn’t matter how
satisfied, happy and eventually will do a better job. excellent they already are.

FACTORS TO BECOME GRITTY AND GRITTIER

1. Develop a Fascination

Before the Theory of Evolution was developed, Charles Darwin first develop an obsessive
fascination about Natural Science. He always had the question about how living things are correlated
to each other. You can also do this by finding a question that fascinates you and you’ll find the
capacity to stay gritty.

2. Daily Improvement

Aim to improve yourself every single day. Always compete with who you were yesterday. For
example, if you’re having a difficulty in one of your subject, you will start allotting of your time to read
and understand the discussion given by Professor.

3. Greater Purpose

Always remind yourselves of the greater purpose…and make it a habit.

16,000 Adult Americans

The illustration above shows that upper half of Grit Scale experience the same level of pleasure while
the higher level of PURPOSE is directly correlated to higher level of GRIT.

4. Long-Term Goal

Learning to stick to something is a life skill that we can all develop. We all have the capacity
to grow our GRIT. We can develop the confidence to start taking action despite how talented we think

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we are. We should develop a growth mindset which is significant for accomplishing a long-term goal.
Neuroscience has shown that we have enormous capacity to change our brain. So, scratch the
mindset saying that abilities are fixed.

 Being GRITTY is the ability to persevere. It’s about being unusually resilient and
hardworking, so much so that you’re willing to continue on in the face of difficulties,
obstacles and even failures. It’s about being constantly driven to improve.
 Being GRITTY is being passionate about something, and be loyal to it. For the highly
successful, the journey was just as important as the end result. An enduring passion,
emotional involvement or love of what you do is an important element to success. It is
your dedication throughout your career journey.

Grit also requires PRACTICE – continuous improvement; a persistent desire to do better. The very
best accumulate 10,000 hours/mature in ten years (Malcolm Gladwell).

All extraordinary people progressed through three distinct periods of development:

1. Early years – Interest

2. Middle years – Practice

3. Later years – Larger purpose and meaning

“Grittier people are dramatically more motivated than others to seek a meaningful, other-centered life.

What can I use the Grit Scale for?

Duckworth created the Grit Scale so that she could study grit as a scientist. Why? Because
you cannot study what you cannot measure.

I also think this questionnaire is useful as a prompt for self-reflection. For example, some of
the most effective coaches and teachers I know give this questionnaire to their players and
students in order to prompt a conversation about their evolving passion and perseverance.

In sum, I think the Grit Scale can be used for research and for self-reflection, but its limitations
make it inappropriate for many other uses, including selecting employees, admitting students
to college, gauging the performance of teachers, or comparing schools or countries to each
other.

“To compete means excellence. Compete comes from the Latin and quite
literally means STRIVE TOGETHER. It doesn’t have anything in its origins
about another person losing.

TOOL No. 4: Seligman’s Positive Psychology

American psychologist Martin Seligman led the development of the field “positive
psychology”. While research and practice in psychology focus on dysfunctions like depression,
neurotic behavior, anxiety and other forms of mental and behavioral problems- that is, aimed to
eliminate suffering- positive psychology wants to understand the factors that contribute to the
experience of wellbeing.

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Better Than Just Okay

Wellbeing, according to Seligman, is the overall sense of emotional health and happiness The
aim is not just to eliminate suffering but to create a life that is fulfilling and worth living.

What rises above the base level of being just “all right”?

Positive psychology is the study of happiness, flourishing, and what makes life worth living.
Seligman points to five factors as leading to well-being — positive emotions, engagement,
relationships, meaning and purpose, and accomplishment.

 Positive Emotions
Optimism, enjoyment, love, contentment, amusement- any emotion that feels good or makes
us kind.
Positive emotions make us more open, resilient, creative, and observant- even physically
healthier.

 Engagement
Getting into a state of “flow”, where we’re immersed in something that captures full attention
and focus.
Engagement comes when we’re feeling confident about our skills. It can be such a pleasant
experience that we end up honing these skills the more you’ll be able to get into the flow.

 Relationship
Loving, close, and trusting bonds with other people.
This includes those with family, friends, romantic partners, colleagues, and your community.
Relationship is a mutual bond between you and the person you care about.

 Meaning
Having a sense of purpose beyond mere personal gain; feeling part of something bigger.

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 Meaning makes us more satisfied, confident, and robust. What are the things that you value
most? Family, friends, money, recognition- looking at these material objects, what deeper
purpose do you find in working to realize them beyond selfish gain?

 Accomplishment
The satisfaction of achieving goals; even small accomplishments help us feel good.
Besides the sense of pride, accomplishment can give us more confidence about the future by
developing perseverance out of having surpassed day-to-day challenges.

Benefits of PERMA:

Each of the five aspects of happiness is things we pursue for their own sake: they are
valuable in themselves, or “intrinsically” rewarding.

How Positive Psychology Starts

The story of positive psychology starts, its founder often says, in 1997 in his rose garden.
Martin Seligman had just been elected head of the American Psychological Association and was in
search of a transformational theme for his presidency. While weeding in his garden one day with his
young daughter, Seligman found himself distracted and frustrated as Nikki, then 5, threw flowers into
the air and giggled. Seligman yelled at her to stop, at which point Nikki took the professor aside. She
reminded him how, from ages 3 to 5, she had been a whiner, but on her fifth birthday, had made a
conscious decision to stop. If she could change herself with an act of will, couldn’t Daddy stop being
such a grouch?

Seligman had an epiphany. What if every person was encouraged to nurture his or her character
strengths, as Nikki so precociously had, rather than scolded into fixing their shortcomings?

Kaiser Permanente commissioned a mural on a downtown Denver building to encourage people to

talk about depression and other mental illnesses.

“POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY GIVES THE IMPRESSION YOU CAN BE WELL AND HAPPY JUST BY
THINKING THE RIGHT THOUGHTS.

____________________________________________________________________________

TOOL No. 5: Harvard's Study on Life Satisfaction

 Good life is built in good relationships.

 According to a 75- year longitudinal study conducted by Harvard University:
People who are more connected SOCIALLY CONNECTED to FAMILY, FRIENDS, and
COMMUNITY are Happier, Physically Healthier, and Live Longer than people who are
isolated or less connected.
 Effective interpersonal skills create social connections, social connections lead to professional
success and personal happiness.
 Over the years, researchers have studied the participants’ health trajectories and their
broader lives, including their triumphs and failures in careers and marriage. According to

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 Robert Waldinger, findings show that our relationships and how happy we are in our
relationships has a powerful influence on our health.
 He also said that taking care of the body is important but tending to your relationship is a form
of self-care too.
 "The people who were the most satisfied in their relationships at age 50 were the healthiest at
age 80,” said Robert Waldinger with his wife Jennifer Stone.
 Close relationships, more than money or fame, are what keep people happy throughout their
lives, the study revealed. Those ties protect people from life’s discontents, help to delay
mental and physical decline, and are better predictors of long and happy lives than social
class, IQ, or even genes.
 The researchers also found that marital satisfaction has a protective effect on people’s mental
health. People who had happy marriages in their 80’s reported their moods didn’t suffer even
on the days they have more physical pain.
 Those who kept warm relationships got to live longer and happier, said Waldinger, and the
loners often died earlier. “Loneliness kills,” he said. “It’s as powerful as smoking or
alcoholism.”
 Waldinger said that good relationships don’t just protect our bodies; they protect our brains.

Psychiatrist George Vaillant, who joined the team as a researcher in 1966, led the study from 1972
until 2004. Trained as a psychoanalyst, Vaillant emphasized the role of relationships, and came to
recognize the crucial role they played in people living long and pleasant lives.

“When the study began, nobody cared about empathy or attachment. But the key to healthy
aging is relationships, relationships, relationships.”— George Vaillant

In a book called “Aging Well,” Vaillant wrote that six factors predicted healthy aging for the Harvard
men:

1. physical activity
2. absence of alcohol abuse and smoking,
3. having mature mechanisms to cope with life’s ups and downs,
4. And enjoying both a healthy weight and a stable marriage.
For the inner-city men, education was an additional factor. “The more education the inner city
men obtained,” wrote Vaillant, “the more likely they were to stop smoking, eat sensibly, and use
alcohol in moderation.”

Vaillant’s research highlighted the role of these protective factors in healthy aging. The more
factors the subjects had in place, the better the odds they had for longer, happier lives.

“When the study began, nobody cared about empathy or attachment,” said Vaillant. “But the
key to healthy aging is relationships, relationships, relationships.”

Asked what lessons he has learned from the study, Waldinger, who is a Zen priest, said he
practices meditation daily and invests time and energy in his relationships, more than before.

“It’s easy to get isolated, to get caught up in work and not remembering, ‘Oh, I haven’t seen
these friends in a long time,’ ” Waldinger said. “So I try to pay more attention to my relationships than I
used to.”

Synthesis:
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 Personality is defined as the characteristics sets of behaviors, cognitions and emotional
patterns that evolve from biological and environmental factors. There are different determinants,
domains and types of personality. Lewis Goldberg advocated heavily for five primary factors of
personality which is known as “The Big Five Personality Factors”. The Big Five Personality Factors is
abbreviated In the acronyms OCEAN or CANOE which means Openness to experience,
Consciousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism.

According to Carol Dweck, people’s core attitudes can be categorized into two: the Growth
mindset and fixed mindset. A growth mindset is ‘the understanding that abilities and understanding
can be developed”. They believed that they can improve by putting in time and effort while fixed
mindset is one that assumes abilities and understanding are relatively fixed. They don’t believe that
intelligence can be enhanced.

Success needs passion and perseverance from a person which is a total description for grit.
Grit is about working on something you care about so much that you’re willing to stay loyal to it.
Angela Lee Duckworth, an associate professor of Psychology, and the author of the book, GRIT.
According to Angela Duckworth, TALENT counts ONCE but EFFORT counts TWICE in order to
become successful. On the other hand, Positive Psychology aimed to understand the factors that
contribute to the experience of wellbeing. Wellbeing, according to Seligman, is the overall sense of
emotional health and happiness. Seligman points to five factors as leading to well-being, known as
the PERMA model—positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning and purpose, and
accomplishment.

Exercise 6:
1. PERSONALITY CHECKLIST. Directions: Look at each pair of items and select the one that
describes you best. Answer the indicated question below after completing the checklist.

Extravert (E) Introvert (I)

___Energized by social interaction ___Energized by having quiet time alone

___Tend to talk first and think later ___Tend to think first and talk later
___Tend to think out loud ___Tend to think things through quietly
___Tend to respond quickly, before thinking ___Tend to respond slowly, after thinking
___Easy to get to know, outgoing ___Difficult to get to know, private
___Have many friends, know lots of people ___Have a few close friends
___Can read or talk with background noise ___Prefer quiet for concentration
___Talk more than listen ___Listen more than talk
___View telephone calls as a welcome break ___View telephone calls as a distraction
___Talk to many different people at parties ___Talk to a few people at parties
___Prefer to study with others in a group ___Prefer to study alone
___Described as talkative or friendly ___Described as quiet or reserved
___Work systematically
___Work through trial and error
___Work alone or with individuals
___Much public contact ___Quiet for concentration
___Work alone or in small groups
___High energy environment ___Focus on one project until complete
___Work as part of a team ___Work without interruption
___Variety and action ___Communication one-on-one
___Talk to others
___Present ideas to a group

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 ____Total Extravert ____Total Introvert

Sensing(S) Intuitive (N)

___Trust what is certain and concrete ___Trust inspiration and inference

___Prefer specific answers to questions ___Prefer general answers which leave
___Like new ideas if they have practical room for interpretation
applications (if you can use them) ___Like new ideas for their own sake (you
___Value realism and common sense don’t need a practical use for them)
___Think about things one at a time and step-by-step ___Value imagination and innovation
___Like to improve and use skills learned before ___Think about many ideas at once as they
___More focused on the present come to you
___Concentrate on what you are doing at the moment ___Like to learn new skills and get bored
___Do something using the same skills
___See tangible results ___More focused on the future
___If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it ___Wonder what is next
___Prefer working with facts and figures ___Think about doing something
___Focus on reality ___Focus on possibilities
___“Seeing is believing” ___There is always a better way to do it
___Tend to be specific and literal (say what you mean) ___Prefer working with ideas and theories
___See what is here and now ___Use fantasy
___Work with known facts ___“Anything is possible”
___Focus on practical benefits ___Tend to be general and figurative (use
___Learn through experience comparisons and analogies)
___Work step-by-step
___See the big picture
___Explore new ideas and approaches
___Use imagination and be original
___Freedom to follow your inspiration
___Work in bursts of energy

____Total Sensing ____Total Intuitive

Thinking (T) Feeling (F)

___Apply impersonal analysis to problems ___Consider the effect on others

___Value logic and justice ___Value empathy and harmony
___Fairness is important ___There are exceptions to every rule
___Truth is more important than tact ___Tact is more important than truth
___Motivated by achievement and ___Motivated by being appreciated by
accomplishment others
___Feelings are valid if they are logical ___Feelings are valid whether they make
___Good decisions are logical sense or not
___Described as cool, calm and objective ___Good decisions take others’ feelings
___Love can be analyzed into account
___Are firm-minded ___Described as caring and emotional
___More important to be right ___Love cannot be defined
___Remember numbers and figures ___Are gentle-hearted
___Prefer clarity ___More important to be liked

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 ___Find flaws and critique ___Remember faces and names
___Prefer harmony
___Prefer firmness
___Look for the good and compliment
___Maintain business environment ___Prefer persuasion
___Close personal relationships
___Be treated fairly ___Work matches personal values
___Fair evaluations ___Make a personal contribution
___Solve problems
___Challenging work

____Total Thinking ____Total Feeling

Judging (J) Perceptive (P)

___Happy when the decisions are made ___Happy when the options are left open-
and finished something better may come along
___Work first, play later ___Play first, do the work later
___It is important to be on time ___Time is relative
___Feel comfortable with routine ___Dislike routine
___Generally keep things in order ___Prefer creative disorder
___Set goals and work toward them ___Change goals as new opportunities arise
___Emphasize completing the task ___Emphasize how the task is done
___Like to finish projects ___Like to start projects
___Meet deadlines ___What deadline?
___Know what they are getting into ___Like new possibilities and situations
___Relax when things are organized ___Relax when necessary
___Follow a routine ___Explore the unknown
___Work steadily
___Work in spurts of energy
___Follow a schedule
___Clear directions ___Be spontaneous
___Organized work
___Minimal rules and structure
___Logical order
___Stability and security ___Flexible
___Work on one project until done
___Like having high responsibility ___Many changes
___Take risks and be adventurous
___Juggle many projects
___Like having interesting work

____Total Judging ____Total Perceptive

What have you learned about your personality by filling out the checklist? Write a summary of
your personality type using this outline. Do not use cut and paste for this summary. Read the
material and summarize it in your own words. You can use this form for your summary or be
creative and use a PowerPoint or other creative media to cover these paragraphs.

Paragraph 1: I am an (introvert, extrovert, or combination type.) This means that . . . .Tell how it
affects your personal or social life.

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Paragraph 2: I am a (sensing, intuitive or combination type.) This means that . . . . Tell how it affects
your personal or social life.

Paragraph 3: I am a (feeling, thinking, or combination type.) This means that . . . . Tell how it affects
your personal or social life.

Paragraph 4: I am a (judging, perceptive, or combination type.) This means that . . . .Tell how it
affects your personal or social life.

Just as a quick review, here is a brief definition of all personality types. Please review these definitions
before you write your paragraphs.

(I) Introvert: private, likes quiet for concentration, likes to think before speaking

(E) Extravert: social, likes variety, sometimes speaks before thinking

(S) Sensing: works step-by-step, learns from experience, trusts what is concrete and certain

(N) Intuitive: values imagination and innovation, focus on possibilities, creative and imaginative

(T) Thinking: calm and objective, makes decisions based on logic, analyzes emotions, likes debate

(F) Feeling: makes decisions based on personal values, values empathy and harmony, caring,
emotional

(J) Judging: orderly, organized, work first and play later, follows a routine, meets deadlines (Note: it
does not mean to judge others!)

(P) Perceptive: spontaneous, go with the flow, play first and do the work later, dislike routine, difficulty
meeting deadlines

2. POSITIVE REMINISCE EXERCISE. Directions: Take time to think about an event from your past
that reminds positive emotions. Visualize the event in as much detail as possible, and focus on the
pleasant feelings that were experienced at the time. Connect that event into at least one of Seligman
points to five factors (P.E.R.M.A.). Write your answer in a separate sheet of paper.

References:
https://angeladuckworth.com/qa/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org.wiki/Behavior
https://en.m.wikipedia.org.wiki/Big_Five_personality_traits
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personality/
https://nationalmentoringresourcecenter.org
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/04/over-nearly-80-years-harvard-study-has-been-showing-how-to-live-
a-healthy-and-happy-life/
https://positivepsychology.com/growth-mindset-vs-fixed-mindset/
https://studentsuccess.unc.edu/files
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https://thriveglobal.com/stories/knowing-yourself-is-a-cornerstone-of-success-and-happiness/
https://www.learning-theories.com/positive-psychology-perma-theory-seligman.html
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