Michael's Fun Blog

In this week's blog posting, we will be analyzing how Mike Wheeler's self-efficacy plays out in Stranger Things. Self-efficacy, put simply, is the belief someone has about their own ability to succeed or carry out at a particular task. In other words, it is the confidence someone has in being able to do something successfully.           Sources of Self-Efficacy       Before we look at how Mike's self-efficacy changed over time, it is important to first elaborate on the sources of Mike's self-efficacy. One source of self-efficacy for Mike that is perhaps the most displayed in the show is friendships or relationships. Time and time again, Mike's confidence and his belief that he can carry out the tasks he has are constantly being shaped by his friends. For example, in season 1, Mike gets attacked by two school bullies at the quarry near his house until Eleven shows up and defeats the bullies using her powers. This moment is pivotal in the ...

  To avoid having to write a book length of information, we will be analyzing Mike Wheeler's primary and secondary appraisals from the 1st season. We will discuss Wheeler's primary appraisals or judgements about various situations and his secondary appraisals about ways to cope.  Appraisal theories of emotion discuss that cognitions precede emotions. More specifically, people make appraisals or judgements about a situation, to determine firstly if the situation is relevant, interesting, dangerous, important for goals, etc. If the situation is relevant, the person then appraises if they have the resources to cope or handle the situation. Together, primary and secondary appraisals help to influence our emotional response. In the beginning of the season, Will, Mike's best friend, goes missing after leaving his home after an intense Dungeon and Dragon's game. As the next day unfolds, Will is not seen at school which makes Michael and his two other friends, Dustin and Lucas,...

  Who Is Michael Wheeler? I will be analyzing Michael Wheeler from the famous Stranger Things tv show. Wheeler is a student at Hawkins Middle School, where he and his best friends Will, Dustin, and Lucas go about their days. Passionate about science, Wheeler and his friends are part of the AV club, which is a club that experiments and builds radios. Michael is a very compassionate person who cares deeply for his friends, and will do anything to help them out. This is seen especially to be true when he forms a deep bond with his friend, and later significant other, Eleven.  Context Living in rural Indiana as a middle schooler, Michael finds himself living a normal kids life in the 1980s until one of his best friends, Will, disappears. As he and his friends investigate, they soon find that Will's disappearance is not just a normal disappearance, as he disappeared into another dimension that mirrors ours called the Upside Down. Michael and his friends soon find themselves having ...