Theory Of Possible Selves

Question 1: Possible selves, as defined by Markus and Nurius (1986), are “the cognitive manifestation of enduring goals, aspirations, motives, fears, and threats” of an individual (p. 954). Our possible selves contain parts of ourselves from the past, as well as desired depictions of our future selves. One cannot assume that all possible selves stem from an individualized framework, one must also take into consideration the social implications behind an individual’s possible selves. Some positive associations with possible selves allow individuals to create this picture of the person they want to be; as Ashley put it, (I am summarizing), ‘If you got everything right, what would your life look like post-WSU?’. These dreams and aspirations

With helping students envision what their lives could be based off their academic goals, and providing them with resources and support to achieve their academic possible selves – this practice would be insurmountable in tutoring or mentoring settings. By having students determine what their desired and feared possible selves may be, it opens doors for conversations and behavioral framing so that they can achieve or resist their possible selves. For these exact reasons, one can understand why the theory of possible selves is so important. This can be applied in various settings and with different populations; academic, low-SES, minority, workforces, prison settings (rehabilitation especially), geriatric populations, etc. Having individuals face and name their aspirations and fears regarding their future selves allows those difficult questions to be asked of themselves, and provide the opportunity for betterment and

I would want to assess how much time the individuals were spending on a) homework or school work, b) family time (cooking, playing, taking care of, etc.), c) ‘free time’ (social media, hanging out with friends, playing games, etc.), d) other activities, in the hours in which they were not at school. I would also ask about attendance and behaviors during class (are you on your phone, do you pay attention, do you take notes, etc.). I would also ask the individuals how they liked school and what subjects were their favorite. Separately, I would want to have the students assess themselves on character traits in which they think they have – similarly to Markus and Nurius (1986) when they measured individuals’ self-selected items. I believe these are very important. In 8th grade, a child may be able to tell me that they do not see themselves as happy, confident, and active; but they may not be able to express any of those things within their desired or feared possible