Publisher Description

Everyone can imagine their future self, even very young children, and this future self is usually positive and education-linked. To make progress toward an aspired future or away from a feared future requires people to plan and take action. Unfortunately, most people often start too late and commit minimal effort to ineffective strategies that lead their attention elsewhere. As a result, their high hopes and earnest resolutions often fall short.In Pathways to Success Through Identity-Based Motivation Daphna Oyserman focuses on situational constraints and affordances that trigger or impede taking action. Focusing on when the future-selfmatters and how to reduce the shortfall between the self that one aspires to become and the outcomes that one actually attains, Oyserman introduces the reader to the core theoretical framework of identity-based motivation (IBM) theory. IBM theory is the prediction that people prefer to act in identity-congruent ways but that the identity-to-behavior link is opaque for a number of reasons (the future feels far away, difficulty of working on goals is misinterpreted, and strategies for attaininggoals do not feel identity-congruent). Oyserman's book goes on to also include the stakes and how the importance of education comes into play as it improves the lives of the individual, their family,and their society. The framework of IBM theory and how to achieve it is broken down into three parts: how to translate identity-based motivation into a practical intervention, an outline of the intervention, and empirical evidence that it works. In addition, the book also includes an implementation manual and fidelity measures for educators utilizing this book to intervene for the improvement of academic outcomes.

Author Biography

Daphna Oyserman, Ph.D., is a social scientist at the University of Southern California; she is a Dean's Professor of Psychology and Professor of Education and Communication as well as founding co-director of the Center for Mind and Society. She was recently a fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies in the Behavioral Sciences (2009-2010) and a senior fellow at the Michigan Society of Fellows (2012-2013); other honors include a W.T. Grant FacultyScholar Award, the Humboldt Scientific Contribution Prize of the German Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, two "Best Research Paper" awards from the Society for Social Work Research, and Fellow status in the AmericanPsychological Association, Association for Psychological Science, Society for Personality and Social Psychology, and Society for Experimental Social Psychology. Following her 1987 Ph.D. at the University of Michigan, she held faculty appointments at a number of universities before returning to the University of Michigan where she remained until 2014.

Table of Contents

Author NoteIntroduction & Readers GuideChapter 1: Identity-Based MotivationChapter 2: A Focus on EducationChapter 3: Translating Identity-Based Motivation to Intervention: Pathways to Success from School to Jobs and LifeReferences

Review

"This unique book captures the pathway from a powerful theory to an effective intervention. Accessible to educators, but thorough enough for researchers, the book lays out the Identity-Based Motivation Theory then covers the research that supports it, how it was translated into an intervention, and the evaluation process that showed the intervention worked as the theory said it should. Dr. Oyserman has written a clear model for translating psychological theoryinto effective real-world intervention." --Brian Smith, PhD, Research Scientist at Committee for Children"Pathways to Success Through Identity-Based Motivation provides students with the frameworks, time and space to consider who they hope to be as adults and recognize that what they are doing right now offers them a pathway to achieving their future possible selves." --Lucy Bailey, Co-Founder of How to Thrive "Daphna Oyserman beautifully lays out the evidence supporting the School to Jobs intervention for both researchers and teachers along with instructions to implement the intervention. Pathways to Success Through Identity-Based Motivation will help educators integrate identity work into their programs and inspire a generation of future researchers to carefully design interventions that are effective and easy to implement. This book should be at the topof every teacher's reading list." --Devora Shamah, Research Manager at Gateway to College National Network"Professor Oyserman makes a compelling case for a way to help youths succeed in life. She furnishes both grounded, theoretical bases, and ready-to-use practical tools that adults responsible for guiding youths can use. I highly recommend this book to educators, youth, practitioners, and social workers interested in helping youths connect the dots and realize their dream." --Dr. John Tan, the Executive Director of CARE Singapore"Students everywhere have vivid pictures of their future selves and of the jobs and careers they would like to attain. Why do so many fail to realize them? This compelling and clearly written volume provides the answer and a robust theoretical and practical blueprint for what to do about it. Oyserman's formula: begin with students' identities and design school settings that help them realize that their future starts now, that what they are doing in school isrelevant to their desired possible selves, and that struggle and difficulty are to be expected on the path to the future. The science and the wisdom of this valuable book are essential for educators,parents, and researchers alike." --Hazel Rose Markus, Davis-Brack Professor in the Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University"Professor Oyserman's possible selves approach has a sound theoretical basis and has been empirically supported by experimental and longitudinal evidence. What amazes me is that even though the possible selves approach is developed in North America, I think it potentially has the universality to work well in an Asian context as well. In fact, my preliminary research using a similar approach has been promising in improving youth's well-being in Singapore. Themanual is very practical and easily adaptable to an Asian context." --Dr. Albert K. Liau, Assistant Head of Research for the Psychological Studies Academic Group of the National Institute ofEducation, at Nanyang

Promotional

In Pathways to Success Through Identity-Based Motivation Daphna Oyserman focuses on situational constraints and affordances that trigger or impede taking action.

Long Description

Everyone can imagine their future self, even very young children, and this future self is usually positive and education-linked. To make progress toward an aspired future or away from a feared future requires people to plan and take action. Unfortunately, most people often start too late and commit minimal effort to ineffective strategies that lead their attention elsewhere. As a result, their high hopes and earnest resolutions often fall short.
In Pathways to Success Through Identity-Based Motivation Daphna Oyserman focuses on situational constraints and affordances that trigger or impede taking action. Focusing on when the future-self matters and how to reduce the shortfall between the self that one aspires to become and the outcomes
that one actually attains, Oyserman introduces the reader to the core theoretical framework of identity-based motivation (IBM) theory. IBM theory is the prediction that people prefer to act in identity-congruent ways but that the identity-to-behavior link is opaque for a number of reasons (the future feels far away, difficulty of working on goals is misinterpreted, and strategies for attaining goals do not feel identity-congruent). Oyserman's book goes on to also include the stakes and how the
importance of education comes into play as it improves the lives of the individual, their family, and their society. The framework of IBM theory and how to achieve it is broken down into three parts: how to translate identity-based motivation into a practical intervention, an outline of the
intervention, and empirical evidence that it works. In addition, the book also includes an implementation manual and fidelity measures for educators utilizing this book to intervene for the improvement of academic outcomes.

Review Text

"This unique book captures the pathway from a powerful theory to an effective intervention. Accessible to educators, but thorough enough for researchers, the book lays out the Identity-Based Motivation Theory then covers the research that supports it, how it was translated into an intervention, and the evaluation process that showed the intervention worked as the theory said it should. Dr. Oyserman has written a clear model for translating psychological theory
into effective real-world intervention." --Brian Smith, PhD, Research Scientist at Committee for Children
"Pathways to Success Through Identity-Based Motivation provides students with the frameworks, time and space to consider who they hope to be as adults and recognize that what they are doing right now offers them a pathway to achieving their future possible selves." --Lucy Bailey, Co-Founder of How to Thrive
"Daphna Oyserman beautifully lays out the evidence supporting the School to Jobs intervention for both researchers and teachers along with instructions to implement the intervention. Pathways to Success Through Identity-Based Motivation will help educators integrate identity work into their programs and inspire a generation of future researchers to carefully design interventions that are effective and easy to implement. This book should be at the top
of every teacher's reading list." --Devora Shamah, Research Manager at Gateway to College National Network
"Professor Oyserman makes a compelling case for a way to help youths succeed in life. She furnishes both grounded, theoretical bases, and ready-to-use practical tools that adults responsible for guiding youths can use. I highly recommend this book to educators, youth, practitioners, and social workers interested in helping youths connect the dots and realize their dream." --Dr. John Tan, the Executive Director of CARE Singapore
"Students everywhere have vivid pictures of their future selves and of the jobs and careers they would like to attain. Why do so many fail to realize them? This compelling and clearly written volume provides the answer and a robust theoretical and practical blueprint for what to do about it. Oyserman's formula: begin with students' identities and design school settings that help them realize that their future starts now, that what they are doing in school is
relevant to their desired possible selves, and that struggle and difficulty are to be expected on the path to the future. The science and the wisdom of this valuable book are essential for educators, parents, and researchers alike." --Hazel Rose Markus, Davis-Brack Professor in the Behavioral
Sciences, Stanford University
"Professor Oyserman's possible selves approach has a sound theoretical basis and has been empirically supported by experimental and longitudinal evidence. What amazes me is that even though the possible selves approach is developed in North America, I think it potentially has the universality to work well in an Asian context as well. In fact, my preliminary research using a similar approach has been promising in improving youth's well-being in Singapore. The
manual is very practical and easily adaptable to an Asian context." --Dr. Albert K. Liau, Assistant Head of Research for the Psychological Studies Academic Group of the National Institute of Education, at Nanyang

Review Quote

"This unique book captures the pathway from a powerful theory to an effective intervention. Accessible to educators, but thorough enough for researchers, the book lays out the Identity-Based Motivation Theory then covers the research that supports it, how it was translated into an intervention, and the evaluation process that showed the intervention worked as the theory said it should. Dr. Oyserman has written a clear model for translating psychological theory into effective real-world intervention." --Brian Smith, PhD, Research Scientist at Committee for Children "Pathways to Success Through Identity-Based Motivation provides students with the frameworks, time and space to consider who they hope to be as adults and recognize that what they are doing right now offers them a pathway to achieving their future possible selves." --Lucy Bailey, Co-Founder of How to Thrive "Daphna Oyserman beautifully lays out the evidence supporting the School to Jobs intervention for both researchers and teachers along with instructions to implement the intervention. Pathways to Success Through Identity-Based Motivation will help educators integrate identity work into their programs and inspire a generation of future researchers to carefully design interventions that are effective and easy to implement. This book should be at the top of every teacher's reading list." --Devora Shamah, Research Manager at Gateway to College National Network "Professor Oyserman makes a compelling case for a way to help youths succeed in life. She furnishes both grounded, theoretical bases, and ready-to-use practical tools that adults responsible for guiding youths can use. I highly recommend this book to educators, youth, practitioners, and social workers interested in helping youths connect the dots and realize their dream." --Dr. John Tan, the Executive Director of CARE Singapore "Students everywhere have vivid pictures of their future selves and of the jobs and careers they would like to attain. Why do so many fail to realize them? This compelling and clearly written volume provides the answer and a robust theoretical and practical blueprint for what to do about it. Oyserman's formula: begin with students' identities and design school settings that help them realize that their future starts now, that what they are doing in school is relevant to their desired possible selves, and that struggle and difficulty are to be expected on the path to the future. The science and the wisdom of this valuable book are essential for educators, parents, and researchers alike." --Hazel Rose Markus, Davis-Brack Professor in the Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University "Professor Oyserman's possible selves approach has a sound theoretical basis and has been empirically supported by experimental and longitudinal evidence. What amazes me is that even though the possible selves approach is developed in North America, I think it potentially has the universality to work well in an Asian context as well. In fact, my preliminary research using a similar approach has been promising in improving youth's well-being in Singapore. The manual is very practical and easily adaptable to an Asian context." --Dr. Albert K. Liau, Assistant Head of Research for the Psychological Studies Academic Group of the National Institute of Education, at Nanyang

Feature

Selling point: Reduces the aspiration-attainment gap.
Selling point: Discusses how motivation works, why education matters, and how to develop an identity-based motivation intervention.
Selling point: Outlines how to harness aspirations and provides evidence that this method works as well as the intervention manual itself.

Details