Motivation and Cognitions

Select only one of the following behaviors as the basis for your paper:
Eating healthy
Exercising
Smoking cessation
Attending college
Starting a family

Write a 1,050- to 1,600-word paper in which you evaluate how goals, mindsets, and personal beliefs affect motivation to engage or disengage in the selected behavior. Include the following:
Compare all four of the types of mindsets that are discussed in the class text in this week’s readings, and identify which is most appropriate for your selected activity (the four types are: growth/fixed, cognitive dissonance, deliberative/implemental, and promotion/prevention).
Analyze the influence of human cognitions and other factors related to self on motivation―including self-concept, self-esteem, and self-regulation―to engage in your selected behavior.
Explain self-efficacy, mastery beliefs, and learned helplessness, and their relationship to motivation, and how that relates to your chosen behavior.
Identify and analyze at least one relevant theory on goal setting, mindset, personal control, and the self, and how that relates to your chosen behavior.

Keep in mind that this is an academic paper and should not be a reflection assignment – the first person should not be used in an academic paper.

Include at least 2 references from scholarly, peer-reviewed journal articles. Note that the text should be used as a cited and referenced source in your paper, but it does not count as one of your peer-reviewed sources. There are journal articles in the electronic reserve readings that would work well, and are considered peer-reviewed.

Format your paper and all citations and references according to APA guidelines.

Submit your assignment. Please note that the paper must be submitted as a .doc, .docx or .rtf file in order for it to be graded.

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