Psychological Corollary

It is important that a person know whether his or her efforts are successful.

Lesson Objective

Given a goal, students will identify evidence indicating that their efforts toward reaching that goal are successful. For example, a person who wanted to drive more carefully could tell she was successful if she ran no red lights, got no tickets, and stayed within the speed limit.

Social Behaviors

This lesson shows students that successful people:

Social Vocabulary

Other Vocabulary

Suggested Lesson Plans

Introduction

• Ask a student volunteer to pretend that he or she has just "run into" you--an old acquaintance-on a street downtown. Repeat the meeting six times; each time, use body language to convey one of the following attitudes toward meeting the volunteer:
• Anger Disgust
• Surprise Contentment
• Pleasure Shyness
• Ask students to identify the attitude you were conveying each of the six times you "ran into" your old acquaintance.
• Ask students why non-verbal behavior can help us interpret how people are responding to us.
• For example:
• Non-verbal behavior often tells us things people can't, don't, or won't put into words.
• Non-verbal behavior occurs constantly, giving us feedback we would otherwise have to ask for.
• Discuss why non-verbal behavior can be difficult to interpret (i.e., because we have to decide what a person is "saying" through his or her actions, misinterpretations are always possible).
• Introduce vocabulary.

Group Use of Student Workbook

• For each goal, have students:
• Read the goal.
• Add efforts to those listed.
• Discuss each clue and decide whether or not it indicates that you are succeeding.

Follow - Up

• Have students brainstorm a list of goals young people may have. For example:
• Improve one's performance in a particular class at school.
• Get along better with one's parents.
• Learn how to fix one's own car.
• Have students work individually or in groups to identify efforts a person might make to achieve one of the above goals.
• Have students work in small groups or as a class to brainstorm two lists for each goal:
• List #1 should include indications that their efforts are not leading to success in achieving the goal.
• List #2 should include indications that their efforts are leading to success in achieving the goal.

Behavior Development Activity

To encourage students to ask for feedback:

• Divide the class into pairs; have each pair prepare to roleplay how to ask for feedback in one of the following situations:
• Your boss seems more and more critical of your work lately.
• You have been trying to convince your parents that you are mature and can accept responsibilities so that they will grant you a particular privilege (e.g., to stay out later on weekend nights, to get a part-time job, to go on a camping trip with a friend, and to use the family car).
• You and a friend are recently double-dated. Your date didn't seem to like you too much. You want your friend to tell you why you failed to please your date.
• Have groups perform their plays.
• Ask the class to identify, for each play, feedback that would indicate success and feedback that would indicate failure to achieve success. For example, if, in the second case, your parents say you're acting like a spoiled kid, you know you're not succeeding in convincing them that you're mature.

Review

• Ask students to interpret two examples of non-verbal feedback. For example:
• Constant eve-contact indicates openness.
• A forced smile might indicate displeasure or unease.
• Ask students to give one example of a way to request feedback; for example, "Excuse me. Could we talk about my progress?"

Homework (Optional)

Ask students to tell someone else that his/her efforts are paying off (e.g., that their mom or dad cooked a great dinner).