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1. Name: Ng Huoy Miin
Student ID: 0319097
Course: Foundation in Natural and Built
Environment
Assignment: Journal 1
Submission Date: 27th April 2015

2. Entry #1 14 April 2015 3.30pm
Chapter 2:Self- handicapping
Based on my research, the behavior of self-handicapping could be considered as
the opposite of overconfidence. It occurs when we try to explain any possible future
poor performance with a reason that may or may not be true.
In my first term at university, we did have a presentation and need to speak
loudly what we had prepared in front of my colleagues. When my first presentation
came through, I was so worried that I couldn’t do well and succumb to handicapping.
During the presentation, my legs were trembling and my mind was blank, at that
moment, I could only roughly speak out some of my ideas.
After the presentation, I had lost my confidence because I knew that I didn’t
perform well just now. My level of emotional tension had increased and simultaneously
it was the time to announce our performance results.
Bad grades came in and I felt so ashamed. People kept asking me what was the
grade that I had received, but I had not told them the truth. Instead of saying my poor
preparation, I blamed the dizziness had caused me failed to express my idea across. And
also my illness had effected the lecturer cannot understand what I had spoken.
I found that it is a way for me to preserve my self-esteem. On the other hands, it
could be a defeating behavior to avoid responsibility.

3. Entry #2 15 April 2014 8pm
Chapter 2:Extrinsic motivation
Are you trying to learn the material in class to get a good grade? The motivation
of getting a good grade is an external reinforcement of which mean the behavior is
extrinsically motivated, we called it extrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation refers to
taking some action in order to obtain a reward or outcome. They are not concerned
with the action itself, they are only concerned with the resulting rewards. Instead of
doing something because it is fun, people who are extrinsically motivated act based on
what they receive as a result.
I have learned piano since I was 6 years old. What I mostly remember is the
stickers and large pressure, which my teacher had given me. There are what exactly that
caused me have extrinsic motivations to play piano.
Because I have less of enthusiasmfor the piano, teacher has tried to reinforce
my enthusiasmwith giving up a lot of stickers. But the stickers weren’t so easy to get.
When I had been taught a song, I need to have practices repeatedly. So during the piano
lesson, I must provide an A class level, then I can get a sticker from her.
Besides that, I also have a large pressure from her. I am a girl that cries easily
while whoever scolding me angrily. When I get scolded by the teacher, I was so afraid
and will have a motivation in my mind, “I must do well in the next piano lesson so I
would not be scolded anymore!” With this belief, I had put more effort to avoid scolded.
With these reinforcements, my enthusiasm has increased quite a lot and help me
who avoid challenges to put more effort. Building extrinsic motivators like these into
teaching seem to be very effective for me.

4. Entry #3 18 April 2015 2pm
Chapter 3: Anchoring and Adjustment Heuristic
An anchoring and adjustment heuristic is a psychological role that affects
decision-making, specifically in individuals who are assessing probability. People who
start with a higher reference point or anchor often adjust their probability assessments
accordingly in the same direction. They may approximate their answer and then
continue to adjust based on other information given, but they are still influenced by the
initial anchoring point.
To buy a computer,I have been out looking on the weekends. At first,I found
Lenovo computer was so suitable for me and there are many functions that exactly
created for me.
But then, after I had done some research, then I realized the price of the Lenovo
computer was RM2300.00 and it was not affordable for me to buy. I want to buy a
computer, but I was not expected that I needed to pay so much. My asking price was
only RM2000.00!
I had noticed another comparable computer with the functions that I wanted
also existed. It was just lower than my budget, and costed me RM1899.00.Therefore, I
had bought the latter without much consideration.
As a conclusion, my final purchase price has been changed because it is below
that the price that I had estimated. The initial anchoring price is definitely influenced my
desire so much.

5. Entry #4 19 April 2015 2pm
Chapter 3 : Negativity Bias
Negativity Bias is a tendency to notice, pay more attention, or give more weight
to negative experiences or information over positive.
For example, I dated with my boyfriend last weekend. I had spent the day with
my boyfriend immersed in a lot of activities we both love. We went to Sunway Pyramid
to have our lunch and see the “Avengers” movie. We laughed, shared stories, and enjoy
the movie very much. I think I know him better and feel truly connected with him at that
moment.
After a dinner to top off the day, we were ready to go home. My boyfriend
looked at me and gently told me that I was getting fat. He totally drove me crazy. I was
out of my mind and went to the supermarket nearby and bought a lot of vegetables to
make few days of diet meals.
By the time I arrived home, I felt drained but what he said still right in my heart. I
felt my boyfriend was such a jerk and feeling the day was a bust. The good feelings from
the day was totally missing and my positive experiences were drowned out by the
negative ones.

6. Entry #5 21 April 2015 6pm
Chapter 4:Halo effect
Sitting beside the window of the library and seeing the peoples walking here
and there, we usually will judge the walker’s appearance, looks, whether they were
pretty and ugly, fashionable or outdated.We can attribute personality qualities to
people we have only seen,even though we have never met them. But the most
important is, it is just our first impression.
It often happens when we are at university and people always making friend
with people who dressing well.The prettier you are,the more attention you are likely to
receive,and you are to perform better and move up as a result.
For example, for my very first project, I tried to find a group between my
classmate. But at the time, I found that I could not get a group easily. I kept asking
people, whoever wanted to group with me, but as a result, they were just trying to get
the chance grouping with the prettiest girl in the class.
The assignment has started going on and I heard some rumors about the
prettiest girl. She didn’t do a lot of work in the project, her teammate- David gets mad
and feel regret groped her .David has told me that in his next assignment,he wants to
get a high ability teammate instead of finding pretty girl.He admitted that they grouped
with her is not all about her ability but is they tend to like her more.
It makes me get to know that not all of the good looking people have not the
same well ability to perform their job functions.We should try to get close and
understand people instead of influence by their attractiveness.

7. Entries #6 23 April 2015 4pm
Chapter 5:Operant Conditioning
Here comes to chapter 5,we have been exposed about operant
conditioning.Operant conditioning is an important concept in psychology. Operant
conditioning is a learning process that involves an increase or decrease in the likelihood
of some behavior as a result of the consequences. Negative reinforcement occurs when
the likelihood of a certain behavior increases as the result of removing something
unpleasant after the behavior. When you are reinforced for doing something, you're
more likely to do it again.
Last month, I had moved into a new hostel at pjs7.There are approximate 14
members. Because I was more likely later than the housemates which have already
stayed in there, it made me cannot join with them easily. As a result, I decided to isolate
myself inside the room and tried to have less communication with them.
However, I am not happy with the noise outside of my room. The problem is that
there is a low soundproof over an existing window. I could totally hear about what they
are saying. It made me feel annoying because I cannot focus on my studies.
I have tried to ask them to lower down their voice, but it seems to be things that
cannot be happening. Thus, every moment when they are making noise, I pick up my
earphone and listen to music. This makes their noise, less noticeable.
Listening to the music has made a good companion in focusing on my works.
Therefore, the frequency of turning on my music has increased when they were making
noise.
Little by little, turning on the music has resulted in a decrease in the
unpleasantness of their noise. I realize that even if they are not making noise, I still need
to listen to the music while I am studying. Nevertheless, this has become my daily life’s
habit unconsciously.

8. Entry #7 25 April 2015 3pm
Chapter 5:Post-Decision Dissonance
Among all,I think chapter 5 is the most interesting chapter for me. Post-decision
dissonance states that after we make a decision between two equal options, we get
uncomfortable and start to wonder if we made the right decision. After we have made a
decision, we will feel dissonance regarding the possibility of it being wrong. We will
often change our perceptions to reduce this dissonance and make the decision seem
more attractive.It is also the basis of brainwashing.
Last years,my father brought us to France for vacation.There was a market that
selling a lot of antique items.My father has a habit to collect antique items.Therefore,
we accompanied him to find his “loves“.
We came to a store that was selling clock which my father fell in love with. The
seller said he had given us a good discount. Not even considered too much, my father
had bought the clock.
Passing by a lot of stores, there are few of stores selling vases that are more
valuable. The price of the vases was even cheaper that the one we bought. My father
was moved, but he had no budget to buy a vase. He became silent and faces clouding
over.I can feel he was regretting buying the clock at the moment.
At the time, my father refused to obey and remember thinking, "Why would I
buy a vase, when I have a similar vase at home already?" he said. From his manner of
speaking,it showed me that he could put his heart at rest finally.
As I thought, I feel that my father could not worry so much as the clock he had
bought cannot be returned. He devalued the vase because he had chosen the clock. The
"logical" decision he had made was only logical that he rid himself of the discomfort
and enjoyed the rest of his day on the trip.