<p>Theories of self-regulation address the continuous process in which individuals compare their behavior to salient goals or standards. Two well-known theories of self-regulation, self-discrepancy theory (SDT) and regulatory focus theory (RFT), each make distinctions regarding the types of standards and goals in reference to which individuals self-regulate. Authenticity--the idea of being one's true self--has the potential to influence the kinds of goals or standards that individuals come to possess and may have implications for understanding the outcomes of self-regulatory processes. This research links the construct of authenticity with SDT and RFT, emphasizing how individual differences in authenticity could influence the motivational and affective consequences of self-regulation predicted within each theory. Individual differences in authenticity were expected to influence the nature of the goals and standards that individuals hold, as well as the acute and chronic affective consequences of discrepancies between the actual self and the ideal and ought self-guides respectively. Specifically, individual differences in authenticity were expected to predict magnitude of actual:ideal and actual:ought self-discrepancy as well as the intensity of distress that individuals report (acutely as well as chronically) in association with self-discrepancies. More importantly, self-discrepancies were expected to be less prevalent among individuals high in authenticity, but more distressing among high-authenticity individuals than among individuals with lower levels of authenticity. The results of this research suggest that individual differences in authentic behavior do have a direct influence on both acute and chronic affect. Authenticity was found to interact with self-discrepancies in predicting chronic affect. Authenticity has a unique role in the process of self-regulation, distinct from the contributions of SDT and RFT.</p> / Dissertation

The main purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between pupils¡¦ multiple intelligences, action control, self-regulation, demographic variables, and their competences of everyday problem solving. The participants were 453 fifth and sixth graders (238 boys and 215 girls) sampling from elementary schools in Kaohsiung City. The employed instruments included The Multiple Intelligences Appraisal, The Action Control Scale (ACS), The Self-regulated Learning Strategies Inventory, and The Everyday Problem-Solving Test (EPST). The applied analysis methods were Descriptive Statistics, One-way Multivariate Analysis of Variance, One-way Analysis of Variance, Canonical Correlation Analysis, and Discriminant Analysis. The main findings of this study were as follows: 1.The participants were not very competent in everyday problem solving. Among the four indices of everyday problem solving, the participants had comparably better abilities in ¡§defining multiple problems¡¨ and ¡§setting priority¡¨ than those in ¡§proposing solutions¡¨ and ¡§deciding the best solution¡¨. 2.The participants¡¦ development of multiple intelligences and their abilities in action control as well as self-regulation were in above-average level. 3.The pupils who had higher multiple intelligences outperformed their counterparts in everyday problem solving; moreover, the pupils¡¦ logical-mathematical intelligence was strongly correlated with their problem solving abilities of ¡§proposing solutions¡¨ and ¡§deciding the best solution¡¨. 4.Pupils with the action-oriented style of action control outperformed those with the state-oriented style in everyday problem solving; in addition, the pupils¡¦ abilities in dealing with ¡¨non-preoccupation with failure¡¨ and ¡§non-hesitation with decision¡¨ were positively correlated with their problem solving ability of ¡§proposing solutions¡¨. 5.The pupils who had more mechanism of self-regulation outperformed their counterparts in everyday problem solving; besides, the pupils¡¦ ¡§self-evaluating and confidence¡¨ in self-regulation was highly correlated with their problem solving ability of ¡§proposing solutions¡¨. 6.The sixth graders¡¦ overall competence in everyday problem solving was better than that of the fifth graders. Moreover, the sixth graders outperformed the fifth graders on the abilities of ¡§setting priority¡¨, ¡§proposing solutions¡¨, and ¡§deciding the best solution¡¨. 7.There were no significant gender differences on the pupils¡¦ overall performance in everyday problem solving, nor on the four indices of everyday problem solving. 8.Birth order had significant effects on the pupils¡¦ performance of everyday problem solving. More specifically, those first-born pupils (including the only child and the first born children) outperformed the middle-born pupils in ¡§defining multiple problems¡¨ and ¡§proposing solutions¡¨. 9.The pupils¡¦ multiple intelligences, action control, self-regulation, and demographic variables could jointly predict their ability group of everyday problem solving, among the three levels of ability group, the ¡§high ability¡¨ group could be best predicted. Finally, after discussion, some suggestions were proposed for educational institutions, teachers, parents and future further studies.

The Study of Customer Personal Data Protection In this customer-driven era, corporations and government agencies face the challenges from customers. If government and corporations can utilize the power of computers to manage the huge amount of personal data they have collected by storing and editing, data mining and customer relationship management can be put to use on services, customer cares, and marketing. This will increase the efficiency of government agencies and stimulate the development of economy. The government, corporations and the people all will be benefited from this move. However, while the organizations make large investments in the security of their computer systems to avoid the invasion of virus and hackers, the abuse and breach caused by the employees, contractors, and other legal users can compromise all the preventive measures. This study investigates the performance of customer personal data privacy protection. While discussing the regulations such as computer processing of personal data acts and Telecommunications Acts, the theory on which this study is based is Self-Regulation Mechanism. The Self-Regulation Mechanism can be applied to the self-monitoring, self-esteem, information ethics, and self-efficacy of the users who have access to the customer personal data. It can also be applied to the management of the customer personal data privacy at the organization level. This study gathered 432 valid surveys from the customer personal data users who are the customer service staffs in the telecommunication industry. With path analysis methodology, this study explores the interactions among the management of organization, personal privacy protection self-efficacy, and information ethics. With information ethics and self-efficacy as the intervening variable between the management of organization and protection performance, this study is set to clarify the level of impacts that these three items have over the performance of customer information privacy protection. Through the model validation, the customer personal data protection self-regulation mechanism proposed in this study demonstrates suitability and the management of organization also shows positive, direct and noticeable impacts. However, the effects of information ethics on privacy protection self-efficacy and those of self-efficacy on the performance of privacy protection are not obvious. Therefore, the organization should strengthen the information ethics of its employees and improve self-efficacy. Also, they should bring up feasible and solid suggestions, hoping to improve the customer personal privacy protection performance of the organization and its members. By doing the customers will have confidence in the organization. Winning the trust and satisfaction from the customers will promote the organization image and even bring in more business opportunities, a good thing for running a long term business.

The aim of the present study was to investigate: (a) self and age related differences in time perspective and future time orientations / (b) age differences in adaptive self-regulation / and (c) the contribution of future and self orientations and adaptive self-regulation to well-being. A questionnaire consisting of measures concerning future outlook and time perspective, adaptive self-regulation, self-construals, goals and subjective well-being variables was administered to 404 adults (191 young, 128 middle-aged, 85 older). Also, short structured interviews about time, future, end of life and age were conducted for descriptive and exploratory purposes with nine individuals, three individuals from each age group. On the basis of the results, it was concluded that, (1) older adults had less open and planful, but more anxious future outlook than younger adults, and middle-aged adults had a time perspective more like older adults&rsquo / (2) there is a difference in the content of the goals reported by each age group, and total number of goals reported by older adults was lower than the number of goals reported by young and middle-aged adults / (3) for all age groups, balanced type (i.e., related-individuated, as defined by the Balanced Integration and Differentiation, BID, model) individuals had the most favourable future outlook, and only balanced-type individuals at young, middle and older ages did not differ from each other in terms of having the most favourable future outlook / (4) balanced type individuals reengaged into other goals more than the unbalanced type individuals when they were faced with an unattainable goal / (5) goal reengagement increased with having more open future time perspective, and the contribution of open future time perspective to goal reengagement was much more for middle-aged and older adults than younger adults / (6) self orientations, future time perspective and goal reengagement contribute to well-being, and contributions of future time perspective and goal reengagement to well-being after the contribution of self orientations were considerable only for young and middle-aged adults / (7) gender was not found to have a significant effect on goal reengagement and well-being, but women had slightly more anxious and fatalistic future attitudes than men.

The present study investigated the multiple predictors of procrastination among university students. In the present study, a mediational causal model based on cognitive, affective, and behavioral components to procrastination was hypothesized to be tested in order to see the structural relationships among the cognitive, affective, and behavioral variables and to what extend the combination of these variables account for engaging in procrastination. The sample consisted of 1218 undergraduate students (623 female, 595 male) selected from Middle East Technical University by stratified random sampling. Turkish version of Tuckman Procrastination Scale was used to gather information for the dependent variable for the present study. Moreover, Demographic Information Form, Irrational Belief Test, Academic Self-Efficacy Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Frustration Discomfort Scale, and Self-Control Schedule were used in data collection. Pilot study was conducted for assessing the validity and reliability of the Frustration Discomfort Scale. Path analysis was utilized to test the hypothesized causal model. The result revealed that procrastination was negatively predicted from academic self-efficacy, self-esteem, and self-regulation. The findings also validated that academic self-efficacy partially mediated the association of procrastination with discomfort intolerance and emotional irresponsibility. Self-esteem also partially mediated the association of procrastination with discomfort intolerance, with emotional irresponsibility, and with anxious overconcern. Finally the results demonstrated that the self-regulation was the strongest predictor of procrastination besides its mediation role for the relationship between procrastination and frustration discomfort beliefs / between procrastination and irrational beliefs / between procrastination and academic self-efficacy / and between procrastination and self-esteem.

Being excluded should motivate pro-social behaviors. Yet, exclusion can incite aggressive and anti-social responses. Two studies were conducted to examine how frequent experiences of exclusion impact self-esteem, perceptions that exclusion is typical of social experiences, and anti-social behaviors. In Study 1, participants completed pre and post-measures of exclusion typicality and self-esteem and reported, over eight weeks, feelings of exclusion and state self-esteem. Results supported the hypotheses in that experiences feeling excluded have direct and indirect effects on state and trait self-esteem as well as on exclusion typicality. In Study 2, participants were exposed to an exclusion manipulation and subsequent aggressive and anti-social behaviors were assessed. Results were inconsistent with hypotheses that exclusion typicality and self-esteem would moderate responses to exclusion. Discussion focuses on the implications for a model of exclusion elicited anti-social behaviors.

The purpose of this study was to examine the role that self-determination played in the transition process for young African American women with disabilities who exited high school with a special diploma and participated in a local transition program. Factors under study included the young women's autonomy, self-regulation, psychological empowerment, and self-realization (Wehmeyer, 1996). This examination of the perceptions of the transition process of young African American women with disabilities involved in-depth interviews with five young women and their parent or guardian. Additionally, The Arc's Self-Determination Scale (ASDS) and the Parent Self-Determination Practice Survey (PSDPS) were administered to determine the level of self-determination of the young women as well as the level of parental promotion of self-determination. Results showed that the young women were able to use self-determination in a variety of settings. Three of the five student participants demonstrated high levels of self-determination as measured by the ASDS when compared to the normative sample. Also, the parent or guardian of the young women provided multiple opportunities for the young women to practice self-determination in their homes and employment settings. Furthermore, the young women discussed several factors that they perceived to be strengths and challenges to using self-determination throughout and beyond the transition process. The findings have implications for school systems, social service agencies, and parents and guardians.

Based on a model that considers self-control (SC) to be a limited resource, research suggests that diminished SC resources increase the likelihood of smoking. Yet, no study has evaluated how smoking affects SC resources. This study used a randomized, 2 x 2 crossed factorial (SC depletion manipulation X smoking manipulation), between-subjects design to test the hypothesis that smoking restores depleted SC resources. To manipulate SC depletion, half of the 132 dependent smokers were instructed to suppress their emotional reaction to a brief video depicting environmental damage (i.e., Depletion), whereas the other half were instructed to “act natural” (i.e., No Depletion) during viewing. Half of the participants in each condition then smoked a cigarette, whereas the other half sat patiently, without smoking (i.e., Smoke vs. No Smoke). All participants then completed two behavioral measures of SC (Mirror Tracing Performance Task: MTPT; and breath-holding). As hypothesized, a disordinal interaction occurred between the Depletion and Smoking manipulations for duration of time spent on the MTPT. That is, participants in the depletion condition showed less persistence on the MTPT, unless they were permitted to smoke. There was no evidence for mediation of this effect from the influence of smoking on affect and/or urge. Thus, smoking appeared to restore depleted SC resources, independent of its effects on self-reported affect and urge. Findings suggest that restoration of SC resources may represent another form of negative reinforcement from smoking that may play a role in nicotine dependence, and could inform treatment development.

Despite the theoretical importance of goal-related deficits in individuals with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), relatively empirical research has examined goal generation and perceived goal attainment in depression vulnerable individuals. The current project sought to examine the impact of depressive status on perceived goal attainment in currently depressed, remitted depressed, and never-depressed women. In addition, perceived problem-solving skills, a construct thought to be critical for goal striving and in goal attainment was also examined. Unexpectedly, no effects of depressive status on perceived goal attainment or overall perceived problem-solving skills were observed. Results did however reveal group differences in perceived control in problem-solving, and this was associated with perceived goal attainment. These surprising results suggest that developing positive expectations for goal pursuit may serve to aid in goal pursuit among depression-vulnerable populations. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

The experience of stress may contribute to increased food consumption and selection of unhealthy food options. Resource depletion theory suggests stress temporarily depletes resources needed to regulate behavior. Depletions of self-control may result in subsequent failure to regulate eating behaviors, which is particularly salient in restrained eaters. Restraint theory posits people high in dietary restraint require significant effort to control eating. Emotional eating theory further suggests palatable foods may be used to regulate emotional stress reactions. Relaxation exercises to mitigate stress reactions are recommended in eating and weight management programs, but lack quality scientific support. The current study examined the efficacy of a brief relaxation intervention on stress-related eating in a sample of at-risk women. Self-regulatory resources and affect were tested as mechanisms of action. A sample of 139 women high in dietary restraint completed a stress-task and were subsequently randomized to a relaxation intervention or control group. Participants were presented with foods varied on taste and fat content. Affect, subjective relaxation, and self-regulatory resources were measured at baseline, pre-, and post-intervention. Participation in a relaxation intervention resulted in significantly less food consumption (p < .05), with a trend toward lower consumption of sweet food (p = .05), compared to controls. Multiple mediator models examining proposed indirect effects of group on eating outcomes were not supported, with the exception of change in subjective relaxation as a significant indirect effect for high-fat food consumption. This study is the first to provide experimental evidence of the efficacy of relaxation in mitigating the effects of stress on eating. Limitations, implications, and future research directions are discussed.