PSYC 471 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Edward L. Deci, Narcissism

• School: McGill University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 471
• Professor: Richard Koestner

Document Summary

Many people act irresponsibly due to the stresses and pressures of life. People want to take control of these responsibilities - this assumes that the promise of reward or. Individuals, and those close to them, have to pay for their irresponsibilities the threat of punishment will make offenders comply. But attempts to apply stricter discipline don"t work, and the reliance on rewards and punishments to motivate responsibility doesn"t have the desired effects - in fact, it makes it worse. An alternative approach begins with asking why people are behaving irresponsibly in the first place: this takes the individual"s perspective, and focuses on the motivation underlying their irresponsibility. This book focuses on the important distinction between whether a behaviour is autonomous or controlled. To be autonomous means to act in accord with one"s self - feeling free and volitional in one"s actions. Whereas to be controlled means to act because one is being pressured.