CAREER AND

PERSONALITY
DEVELOPMENT
(CAED 500C)

COMPONENT A
 Week 4 –
CAED 500C
COMPONENT A DECISION MAKING

COURSE OUTLINE
Course Coordinator:
Email:
Student Consultation: By appointment
Mobile: -
Phone: -
Effectivity Date: June 2020
Blended (On-Line with face to face or
Mode of Delivery:
virtual sessions)
Time Frame: 54 Hours
Student Workload: Expected Self-Directed Learning
Requisites: None
Credit: 3
A minimum of 95% attendance is
Attendance
required at all scheduled Virtual or face
Requirements:
to face sessions.

COURSE OUTLINE POLICY

Areas of Concern Details

Contact and Non-contact This 3-unit course self-instructional manual is designed for
Hours blended learning mode of instructional delivery with scheduled
face to face or virtual sessions. The expected number of hours
for Component A is 24 hours including face to face or virtual
sessions. Face to face sessions shall include test administration
and interpretation that are viewed important for your self-
awareness and development.

Assessment Task Submission of activities and task is on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th week
Submission of the class schedule. It will be submitted with a cover page
containing your name, name of your course coordinator, title
of the activity, and the date of submission. The document

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 should be sent to the course coordinator through LMS. The
document should be in pdf file.
When the assessment task is done in real time through the
features in the Blackboard Learning Management System, the
schedule shall be arranged ahead of time.
Penalties for Late The score for an assessment item submitted after the
Assignments/Assessments scheduled deadline without approved extension of time, will
be reduced by 5% of the possible maximum score for each day
or part of the day.

However, if the late submission is deemed of valid reason, an

explanation letter should be submitted to the course
coordinator subjected for approval. If necessary, an
attachment of evidence shall be required.

Return of Assignments/ Assessment tasks will be returned to you two (2) weeks after
Assessments the submission. It will be returned through email or Blackboard
portal.

For group assessment tasks, group members will be required

for an online or virtual sessions, and will be asked of
clarifications to validate the originality and group participation
of the assessment task submitted.

Assignment Resubmission Request through writing your intention of resubmitting an

assessment task, Address the letter to the program
coordinator. The resubmission is premised on the student’s
failure to comply with the similarity index and other
reasonable grounds such as academic literacy standards or
other reasonable circumstances e.g. Illness, accidents financial
constraints.

Re-marking of Assessment Request through writing your intention to appeal or contest

Papers and Appeal the score given to an assessment task. Address the letter to the
program coordinator. The letter should explicitly explain the
reasons/points to contest the grade. The program coordinator
shall communicate with the students on the approval and
disapproval of the request.

If disapproved by the course coordinator, the request to

appeal may be escalated to the program head or the dean with
the original letter of request. The final decision will come from
the dean of the college.

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Grading System There will be three components that needs to be accomplished
to pass the subject. The grading system shall be divided as
follows:

Component A – 30%
Component B – 40%
Component C – 30%

Component A will be handled by the Guidance Services and

Testing Center (GSTC). You will be graded in this component
through the activities that you submitted using Blackboard or
email.

Submission of the final grades shall follow the usual University

system and procedures.

Preferred Referencing Style Depends on the discipline; if uncertain or inadequate, use the
general practice of the APA 6th Edition.

Student Communication Students are required to create umindanao email account

which is a requirement to access the BlackBoard portal. The
course coordinator shall enroll the students to have access to
the materials and resources of the course. All communication
formats: chat, submission of assessment tasks, requests etc.
shall be through the portal and other university recognized
platforms.

Students may also meet the course coordinator in person

through the scheduled face to face sessions to raise issues and
concerns.

For students who have not created their student email, please
contact the course coordinator or program head.

Contact Details of GSTC SILVINO P. JOSOL JR., RPsych, MPsych

Director Email: silvino_josol@umindanao.edu.ph
Phone: 082-2213577 local 130

Course Information – see/download course syllabus in the Black Board LMS

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 Week 4 –
CAED 500C
COMPONENT A DECISION MAKING
BIG PICTURE
Week 4: Unit Learning Outcomes (ULO): At the end of the unit, you are better able to understand
Decision-Making. Specifically, you are expected to:

a. Learn decision making strategy that will help improve the quality of the choices you make;
and
b. Discover how the choices we make individually can affect others.

Big Picture in Focus: ULOa. Learn decision making strategy

that will help improve the quality of the choices you make.

METALANGUAGE
The most essential terms are operationally defined for you to have a better understand this
section.

a. Values – Intrinsic belief system that highly influences a person’s attitude and behavior.
b. Experience – The over-all experience of an individual through time which can influence
his/her decision-making strategy.
c. Common Sense – Are things that ordinarily observed by individuals and become a basis and
references for decisions.

ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE
It is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the fact that students nowadays have numerous
options on selecting degrees to pursue, and better chances on choosing the career they favor. It is
very important to have a deep understanding on how your preferences play part in the decision-
making process. The key step in achieving an understanding of your decision-making process is to
recognize factors that may influence it.

People are expected to be able to make decisions quickly, and responsibly. It is valuable to
understand how decision-making works, and to learn good ways to improve your decision-making
skills. Most decisions are made hastily without any idea of the principles behind it. With better
decision-making skills, the percentage of beneficial results of every decision would undoubtedly rise.

THREE MOST IMPORTANT CRITERIA FOR GOOD DECISION MAKING

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 The three most important criteria for good decision making are values, experience and
common sense:

1. Values – What you value determines your behavior. Beliefs produce attitudes, attitudes
produce feelings, and feelings lead to behavior.
2. Experience – We all learn to make decisions through experience. Most believe that time will
tell if a decision is good or bad. But, it is in your hands to believe whether a decision will bring
you more advantages, or more damage.
3. Common sense – It is the sound practical judgement concerning everyday matters, or a basic
ability to perceive, understand, and judge that is shared by (‘common to’) nearly all people. It
is using what you practically know to help you make the best decision.

CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD DECISION MAKERS

The best decision makers are people who can combine logic, problem analysis, and intuition
to come up with the most beneficial decision.

Being a good listener.

Good decision makers must be able to
hear and take into account other
people’s opinions when making
decisions.
Having a clear set of priorities.
Decision makers must know their
priorities, or values in order to choose
a good or “correct” path.
Having an open mind.
Good decision makers are open to
other people’s views, and ways of
thinking, rather than being stuck in one
way of doing things.
Being flexible and willing to change.
A good decision maker is open to new or alternative ways of doing things that may work
out better in the end.
Being realistic.
Good decision makers understand the realistic outcomes to which different paths will
lead.

PROBLEM SOLVING VS. DECISION MAKING

You should understand that problem solving and decision making are two separate things, but
oftentimes they go hand-in-hand. Problem solving means being forced to make a decision because of
conditions beyond your control, while decision making means choosing to make a decision because
you wish for something to occur that is not occurring at the present time. You can think of it as,

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decision making occurs because you want something to happen, while problem solving occurs when
a problem arises.

STEPS FOR DECISION-MAKING AND PROBLEM-SOLVING

These five steps are guides on getting through a problem, and deciding on a solution.

1. Analyze the problem. Determine whether or not the problem needs immediate action.
How urgent is the issue? How long will it take to fix the problem? The severity of the issue
determines how quickly you respond and what steps you must take.
2. Gather information. After you determine and analyze the intensity of the problem, gather
supporting information. Depending on the issue, the type of information you gather may
vary. Think about what reports to use to further analyze the problem and back up your
claims.
3. Brainstorm solutions. Don’t be afraid to ask others for their input. The more ideas you
have, the more likely you can find a viable solution to your problem. Think back to
previous problems you had. Were they similar to the current issue? If so, how did you
resolve the other problems? When generating solutions, think outside of the box. The
solution you, and your team may agree on does not have to be necessarily the same
methods you have used in the past.
4. Weigh pros and cons. One main component of effective problem-solving and decision-
making is weighing your pros and cons before making any decisions. Consider giving each
solution a score based on the number of pros and cons. List your solutions by point value
to rank which option might be the best route. But, keep in mind you don’t necessarily
have to choose the option with the highest ranking.
5. Decide on a solution. After evaluating all possible solutions, it is time to make a decision.
When making a decision, consider a few things such as:
• Amount of risk;
• Possible outcomes (short- and long-term);
• Negative side effects (e.g., other problems); and
• Likeliness of success.

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WAYS TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS
Book time to think.
Decision making is a task, and it
deserves more attention than
what you can devote to
Define the decision.
Before delving into deciding, get
clear on the nature of the choice
you’re making. Defining the key
factors that both go into, and
will be affected by your decision
helps you quickly discern
whether, and why you’re excited
about a particular option.
Think through your options.
Instead of limiting yourself to a
“yes” or “no” choice, brainstorm all the possible options before making a decision. You
may find compromises, and alternatives that weren’t easy to see initially. In fact, consider,
too, whether you actually need to make a decision. In some cases, it’s fine to simply let a
choice pass by without committing either way.

Here are five great options, each suited to different situations and personality types.

1. Fall back on your values. Having clear values that you try to live by can make tough
decisions easier. For example, maybe you know there’s a certain amount of time you want
to spend with your family, or a baseline level of debt you’re willing to carry.
2. Talk it through. You just need a good listener who’ll give you time and space to hear out
your monologue and occasionally reflect back to you what you’ve shared.
3. Ask for perspective. Asking someone else for their opinion typically works best when
you’re considering doing something that you’ve never done before, and when you know
someone who’s experienced in that domain. Just be careful not to blindly accept advice.
4. Test it out first. In those moments when you’re exposing yourself to a new experience,
your body tends to signal you whether an unfamiliar situation “feels right” or just “feels
off.”
5. Listen to your hopes. When you’re really struggling with a decision, it’s often because your
mind thinks one thing is practical, while your heart wants something else. Pay attention
to what you hope will happen. Its most of the time right and good to listen to your hopes,
because they often give you deeper insight into the decisions you actually want to make.

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 MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT WORRY
Decision making involves making choices. Many of us makes decisions based on our own
perception, but some make decisions that are heavily influenced by others opinion. Most people are
afraid to make decisions because they think they may commit to a ‘wrong’ one. However, the truth
is that we are too consumed to deem whether a decision we committed to is ‘right or wrong’, and
forget to respond to the consequences of the decisions we made.

Self-Help: You can also refer to the sources below to help you further
understand the lesson:

*Positivechoices.org. (2019). Decision-making and Problem-solving: Class Activity. Retrieved from

https://positivechoices.org.au/teachers/decisionmaking-and-problemsolving-class-activity

*Denison, Chaaris (nd). The Daily Dilemma. Retrieved from

https://www.goodcharacter.com/dilemma15/

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 Big Picture in Focus: ULOb. Discover how the choices, we
make as individuals affect others.

METALANGUAGE
For you to demonstrate ULOb, you are to examine the impact that your decisions and choices
have on the people surrounding you. You will also be defining the influences of emotions on everyday
decisions that you make.

ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE
At times, a choice may primarily affect the person who makes it, but never exclusively. Every
choice a person makes, large or small, from how time is spent to which career to pursue, will have an
effect on another person. It could be a seemingly miniscule repercussion, or one large enough to
change everything. Regardless of the degree, someone is always affected by the choices of others. It
is impossible to avoid it. Because of this, decisions should not be handled with indifference towards
the influence they could have in the lives of others, rather, they should be valued for this very reason.

The wave of individualism has steered people away from collective principle. The danger of
over-sensationalizing individualism brought society an attitude of making choices with little to no
regard for others. It may not be an issue of selfishness, but more about ignorance of knowledge
resulting to irrational self-centeredness. The individualism-obsessed culture seems encouraging
people to decide solely for themselves, and
failing to recognize how it might affect
someone else. We celebrate people who are
living life for themselves. But, there is a
certain extent of its appropriateness.
Entirely abiding to “I’m just doing me.”
invalidates the truth that other people are
or will get involved. Lives are intertwined in
countless different ways. There is not any
way to escape the influence one may send
on to others. Even attempting to escape it
has influence. However, this does not mean,
too, that choices should be made without
giving thought to oneself. There are
definitely times when it is necessary to
make a choice that serve oneself more. It
neither necessarily makes someone a selfish
person, nor necessarily consider selfishness
absolutely evil.

There are decisions that are

appropriate to be selfish about, but it is true
that they still affect others. Deciding where
to attend college affects your parents, guardians, siblings, employers, and the people around you.

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Despite this endless list of people, making a decision on this matter completely based on one’s
personal interest is appropriate and beneficial.

Sometimes decisions should be made with the best interest of self in mind, while accepting,
and understanding how it will play part on others’ lives. Other times, decisions should be made while
thinking of others’ needs. Even though it’s difficult, it is beneficial to consider others’, and think less
of oneself. Acknowledging that each choice we make will affect another person is a valuable way to
live. It is not just about with the big things, but with small decisions too. Choices matter. People
matter.

If we consciously choose to be awareness of the influences a choice may bring, there will be
better outcome.

HOW POSITIVE EMOTIONS HELP US

Positive emotions balance out negative ones, but they have other powerful benefits, too.
Instead of narrowing our focus like negative emotions do, positive emotions affect our brains in ways
that increase our awareness, attention, and memory. They help us take in more information, hold
several ideas in mind at once, and understand how different ideas relate to each other.

People who have plenty of positive emotions in their everyday lives tend to be happier,
healthier, learn better, and get along well with others.

HOW NEGATIVE EMOTIONS HELP US

Negative emotions warn us of threats, or challenges that we may need to deal with. Negative
emotions focus our awareness. They help us to zone in on a problem so we can deal with it. But, too,
many negative emotions can make us feel overwhelmed, anxious, exhausted, or stressed out. When
negative emotions are out of balance, problems might seem too big to handle. The more we dwell on
negative emotions, the more negative we begin to feel. Focusing on negativity just keeps it going.

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 THE IMPORTANCE OF POSITIVE EMOTIONS
Science is helping us find out how valuable positive emotions can be. Here are two findings that
can help us use positive emotions to our advantage:

1. Let Positive Emotions Outnumber Negative Ones.

When we feel more positive emotions than negative ones, difficult situations are
easier to handle. Positive emotions build our resilience (the emotional resources needed for
coping). Studies show that people feel, and do their best when they have at least three times
as many positive emotions as negative emotions. That's because of something called the
negativity bias. The negativity bias is a natural human tendency to pay more attention to
negative emotions than to positive ones. It makes sense when you think about it: Negative
emotions call our attention to problems we might need to deal with quickly. Tuning in to
negative emotions can be a survival mechanism.

2. Practice Positivity Every Day.

Building habits that encourage us to feel more positive emotions can help us be
happier, do better, and reduce our negative emotions. Building positive emotions is especially
important if we're already dealing with a lot of negative feelings such as fear, sadness, anger,
frustration, or stress.

Building a daily positivity habit is pretty simple. It comes down to two basic steps:

a. Notice, and name your positive emotions. Start by simply focusing on your feelings.
You can tune in to your emotions in real time, as they happen. Or take stock at the
end of the day, noting how you felt in different situations.

b. Pick an emotion and act to increase it. Let's say you choose confidence: What helps
you feel confident? How can you get more of that feeling? Positive emotions feel
good, and they're good for you. Pay attention to these powerful tools and find ways
to make time for them in your everyday life. Create room in your day for joy, fun,
friendship, relaxation, gratitude, and kindness. Make these things a habit and you
positively will be a happier you.

Self-Help: You can also refer to the sources below to help you
further understand the lesson:

*Positivechoices.org. (2019). Decision-making and Problem-solving: Class Activity. Retrieved from

https://positivechoices.org.au/teachers/decisionmaking-and-problemsolving-class-activity

*Denison, Chaaris (nd). The Daily Dilemma. Retrieved from

https://www.goodcharacter.com/dilemma15

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