The Law of Responsibility and its Influence on the Cognitive Processes of Learning in Adult University Students
- May 7
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 19
In current educational contexts, one of the major challenges is to foster an active and committed attitude in students over 20 years of age, who often balance their education with work and personal responsibilities.
Within this group, a recurring phenomenon is observed: low academic performance does not always stem from a lack of cognitive ability, but rather from a limited perception of personal responsibility towards learning.
This scientific problem can be formulated as follows:
How does the perception of personal responsibility influence the motivation, concentration, memory, and learning of adult students?
From a constructivist and motivational perspective, the objective of this article is to analyze the importance of the Law of Responsibility, formulated by Lair Ribeiro, as a central element of educational transformation in adults, and how this can enhance the psychological processes involved in meaningful learning.
The Law of Responsibility According to Lair Ribeiro
In Success Doesn't Happen by Chance, Lair Ribeiro states:
"You are solely responsible for everything that happens to you."
This statement, far from being a blaming sentence, is an invitation to empower oneself and take control over one's life and outcomes. Applied to the educational context, it implies that the student must recognize themselves as the protagonist of their learning process.
This law is based on the idea of self-determination, widely researched in psychology. According to Deci and Ryan (2000), the Self-Determination Theory proposes that autonomous motivation arises when a person perceives that they control their decisions, which favors engagement and performance.
Motivation: The Fuel of Adult Learning
Numerous studies have shown that adult students exhibit greater motivation when they perceive that learning has a direct purpose in their lives (Knowles, 1980). However, this motivation decreases if a passive attitude is adopted, where results are attributed to external causes (the teacher, the content, luck).
Accepting personal responsibility activates intrinsic motivation, as the student focuses on the "why" of their actions. This aligns with Viktor Frankl's famous quote:
"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves."
In this framework, responsibility is not a burden, but a source of inner power that increases autonomy and strengthens the desire to learn.
Concentration: The Direction of Mental Energy
Concentration, defined as the ability to voluntarily direct attention towards an object, requires a state of active presence. Without responsibility, attention is scattered and diluted among excuses or distractions.
When the student assumes control of their process, they stop depending on external factors and train their mind to focus, even in noisy environments or during moments of fatigue. Neuroscience has shown that sustained attention improves when there is a clear sense of purpose (Goleman, 2013), and this purpose is
built from individual responsibility.
Memory and Learning: Processes Strengthened with Meaning
Memory is not only the ability to retain, but also to associate previous ideas and experiences with new information. Studies in neuroeducation (Sousa, 2011) have shown that emotionally significant experiences are recorded more strongly.
When a person recognizes themselves as responsible for their learning, they transform the educational activity into something personally meaningful, which strengthens long-term memory and promotes deep learning.
In adults over 20 years of age, who often carry limiting beliefs or past experiences of academic failure, taking responsibility allows them to resignify their relationship with studying and break automatic patterns of self-sabotage.
Additional Key Quote: Albert Ellis and Emotional Responsibility
Albert Ellis, the creator of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, stated:
"The emotionally mature person is one who assumes complete responsibility for their emotions and behaviors."
In an adult classroom, this emotional maturity translates into academic resilience: the student does not give up easily, seeks solutions, learns from mistakes, and focuses on improvement.
Thus, responsibility becomes not only a law of success but a fundamental pedagogical principle for forming autonomous, motivated, and conscious learners.
🔖Conclusion
Lair Ribeiro's Law of Responsibility provides a powerful perspective for adult learning by placing the student as the protagonist and not as a victim of their circumstances.
This law enhances intrinsic motivation, favors sustained concentration, improves memory, and allows for meaningful and lasting learning.
Assuming responsibility is not about blaming oneself, but about empowering oneself. When adults accept this idea, they transform their attitude towards their studies and elevate their performance.
Educational institutions should foster environments where autonomy is valued, self-reflection is reinforced, and a sense of purpose in learning is cultivated.
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