Motivation and Learning Strategies for College Success : A Self-management Approach

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MANAGEMENT OF EMOTION AND EFFORT 127

TABLE 5.2

Procedures for Improving Self-Talk

Procedures Questions

1. Listen to your own self-talk “What am I
   You can’t alter inner speech unless you understand what telling myself?”
   you are telling yourself.


2. Decide if your inner dialogue is helpful or harmful. “Is it helping?”
   Examine how your inner speech affects your emotions,
   motivation, and behavior. If your self-talk is helping,
   maintain it. If your self-talk is harmful, change it.


3. Identify the type of self-talk in which you are engaged. “What type of
   Is it from the Worrier, the Critic, the Victim, or the self-talk is main-
   Perfectionist? taining my nega-
   tive self-talk?”


4. Replace your harmful self-talk with positive self-talk. “What per-
   Give yourself permission to try another strategy to deal mission and
   with the event or situation. Identify your positive self-affirmation
   characteristics (e.g., desire, concentration, ability) that will I give
   will help deal with the event. Try writing a counter- myself?”
   argument to your negative self-talk.


5. Develop a guide: Decide what action to take consonant “What action will
   with your new supportive position. I take based on
   If you decide that your self-talk is harmful, you want to my new positive
   change your behavior as well as your attitude or position?”
   emotional response. Specify this new behavior.

original goal. In addition, she doubts her ability and motivation to

perform well in science. During the first semester at college, she

becomes upset because she is not studying what she really wants and

decides to explore her own self-talk.

Questions Reply

What am I telling

myself?

I’m saying to myself, “I really would like

to go to medical school.” Then I think,

“Oh, come on, Sharon, you’re being silly.

Medical school is hard and you’ll never be

able to do the work.”

Is it helping? No. It’s keeping me from doing what I

really want to do.

What type of self- The Critic

talk is maintain-

ing my negative

self-talk?

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