Self monitoring

Self-monitoring theory is a contribution to the psychology of personality, proposed by

Mark Snyder in 1974. The theory refers to the process through which people regulate
their own behavior in order to "look good" so that they will be perceived by others in a
favorable manner. It distinguishes between high self-monitors, who monitor their
behavior to fit different situations, and low self-monitors, who are more cross-
situationally consistent. Snyder designed a questionnaire to assess self-monitoring called
the Self-Monitoring Scale, based on the assumption that high self-monitoring could be
defined as consisting of:

1. High concern with the social appropriateness of one's actions;

2. Use of social comparison information;
3. Ability to monitor one's behavior to fit different situations;
4. Ability to do this in specific situations;
5. Trait variability

On his original version of the Self-Monitoring Scale, he found that Stanford University
students scored significantly higher than psychiatric inpatients, but significantly lower
than people in the acting profession. The theory is of interest in that it makes an original
contribution to the debate on traits versus situationism. It effectively says that trait
consistency can be found in low self-monitors, whereas a situationist framework is more
appropriate for high self-monitors. Subsequent research using the self-monitoring scale,
in which it has been analysed using factor analysis, has questioned whether the scale
really - as Snyder believed - measures a homogeneous concept.

Emotional self-regulation

Emotional self-regulation, also known as Emotion Regulation or simply ER, is being

able to properly regulate one's emotions. It is a complex process that involves the
initiating, inhibiting, or modulating the following aspects of functioning[1]:

1. internal feeling states (i.e. the subjective experience of emotion),

2. emotion-related cognitions (e.g. thought reactions to a situation),
3. emotion-related physiological processes (e.g. heart rate, hormonal, or other
physiological reactions), and
4. emotion-related behavior (e.g actions or facial expressions related to emotion).

Developmental Psychology

The emergence of emotional regulation is a slow gradual process over the course of
development. At first, the child relies heavily on mediation from external parties, such as
the primary caregiver, to co-regulate his or her emotions, such as when an upset infant
requires the attentive mother to calm them down. By 6 months of age [1], researchers
believe infants show the first signs of emotional self-regulation, likely as a result of
"downloading", or internalizing, their caregivers' emotional regulation "programs"[2]. At
this age, they can self-soothe and also self-distract to avoid what has upset them. Between
ages 1-2, children distract themselves from distressing stimuli by averting attention more
and more. Over the years, children increasingly manage negative emotions by talking
with others and negotiating ways to resolve situations, showing sophistication in emotion
regulation.[citation needed]

It has been suggested by some that neurological changes confer such maturity in
regulation over the course of development, particularly maturation of the frontal lobes,
thought to be essential for managing attention and inhibiting thoughts and behaviors[1].

Self-regulation

The term self-regulation can signify:

• Homeostasis, in systems theory

• Self-control, in sociology / psychology
• Self-regulated learning, in educational psychology
• Self-Regulation Theory (SRT), a system of conscious personal health
management
• Self-regulatory organization, in business and finance
• Self-policing, a form of self-regulation

Self-regulation theory

Self-Regulation Theory or SRT is a system of conscious personal health management.

Although a doctor may give a patient sound medical advice, the theory states that only
with self-regulation will the patient appropriately implement that advice. For medical
treatment to be effective, the patient needs to be interested in improving one's own health.

SRT consists of several stages. First, the patient deliberately monitors one's own
behavior, and evaluates how this behavior affects one's health. If the desired effect is not
realized, the patient changes personal behavior. If the desired effect is realized, the
patient reinforces the effect by continuing the behavior. (Kanfer 1970;1971;1980)

Another approach is for the patient to realize a personal health issue and understand the
factors involved in that issue. The patient must decide upon an action plan for resolving
the health issue. The patient will need to deliberately monitor the results in order to
appraise the effects, checking for any necessary changes in the action plan. (Leventhal &
Nerenz 1984)

Outside of health management, self-regulation theory is used to explain the cognitive bias
known as illusion of control. To the extent that people are driven by internal goals
concerned with the exercise of control over their environment, they will seek to reassert
control in conditions of chaos, uncertainty or stress. Failing genuine control, one coping
strategy will be to fall back on defensive attributions of control—leading to illusions of
control (Fenton-O'Creevy et al., 2003).
Another factor that can help the patient reach his/her own goal of personal health is to
relate to the patient the following: Help them figure out the personal/community views of
the illness, appraise the risks involved, and give them potential problem-solving/coping
skills. These factors can help the patient modify their behavior through internal
motivation as opposed to motivation from the health care provider (external motivation).

Self-regulatory organization

A self-regulatory organization (SRO) is an organization that exercises some degree of

regulatory authority over an industry or profession. The regulatory authority could be
applied in addition to some form of government regulation, or it could fill the vacuum of
an absence of government oversight and regulation. The ability of an SRO to exercise
regulatory authority does not necessarily derive from a grant of authority from the
government.

In United States securities law, a self-regulatory organization is a defined term. The

principal federal regulatory authority—the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
—was established by the Federal Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The SEC delegates
authority to the National Association of Securities Dealers (the NASD) and to the
national stock exchanges (e.g., the NYSE) to enforce certain industry standards and
requirements related to securities trading and brokerage. On July 26, 2007 the SEC
approved a merger of the enforcement arms of the NYSE and the NASD, to form a new
SRO, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). In addition, Congress
created the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (the MSRB) as an SRO charged with
adopting investor protection rules governing broker-dealers and banks that underwrite,
trade and sell tax-exempt bonds, 529 college savings plans and other types of municipal
securities.

The American Arbitration Association is also an SRO with official, statutory status.

Because of the prominence of the SROs in the securities industry, the term SRO is often
used too narrowly to describe an organization authorized by statute or government
agency to exercise control over a certain aspect of the industry.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) is an example of an SRO that fills the
vacuum left by the absence of government oversight or regulation. The NAR sets the
rules for Multiple Listing Services and how brokers use them. Another example is the
American Medical Association which sets rules for ethics, conflicts, disciplinary action,
and accreditation in medicine.