Personal Agency

Definition

Personal agency refers to an individual's capacity to make choices and take actions that influence their life and environment. It is the sense of control and self-determination that people have over their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Personal agency is a key concept in humanistic psychology, which emphasizes the inherent drive for self-actualization and personal growth.
2. Individuals with a strong sense of personal agency are more likely to set goals, persist in the face of challenges, and take responsibility for their actions and outcomes.
3. Personal agency can be influenced by factors such as past experiences, social and cultural contexts, and the availability of resources and support.
4. Developing a strong sense of personal agency is associated with higher levels of well-being, life satisfaction, and psychological resilience.
5. Promoting personal agency is a central focus in many humanistic-based therapies, such as client-centered therapy and existential therapy.

Review Questions

• Explain how personal agency relates to the humanistic approach in psychology.
  • The humanistic approach in psychology emphasizes the inherent drive for self-actualization and personal growth. Personal agency, the sense of control and self-determination over one's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, is a key concept within this framework. Humanistic psychologists believe that individuals have the capacity to make choices and take actions that influence their lives and environment, and that promoting personal agency is essential for achieving self-actualization and well-being.
• Describe the relationship between personal agency and the concept of locus of control.
  • Locus of control, the extent to which individuals believe they have control over the events that influence their lives, is closely related to personal agency. Individuals with an internal locus of control, who feel they can influence outcomes, are more likely to have a strong sense of personal agency. Conversely, those with an external locus of control, who feel controlled by outside forces, may struggle to develop a robust sense of personal agency. The interplay between locus of control and personal agency can significantly impact an individual's motivation, persistence, and overall well-being.
• Analyze how the development of personal agency can be fostered through the principles of self-determination theory.
  • Self-determination theory emphasizes the importance of intrinsic motivation, autonomy, and the fulfillment of basic psychological needs for competence, relatedness, and autonomy in promoting personal agency and well-being. By supporting an individual's autonomy, providing opportunities for skill development, and fostering a sense of belonging, self-determination theory suggests that personal agency can be nurtured and strengthened. This, in turn, can lead to greater intrinsic motivation, a stronger sense of control over one's life, and a greater propensity for personal growth and self-actualization, which are central to the humanistic approach in psychology.

Related terms

Self-Efficacy: The belief in one's own ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish a task. It influences the choices people make and the actions they take.

Locus of Control: The extent to which individuals believe they have control over the events that influence their lives. Those with an internal locus of control feel they can influence outcomes, while those with an external locus feel controlled by outside forces.

Self-Determination Theory:

A theory of motivation that emphasizes the importance of intrinsic motivation, autonomy, and the fulfillment of basic psychological needs for competence, relatedness, and autonomy in promoting personal agency and well-being.