4.5- Social-Cognitive & Trait Theories of Personality

Reciprocal Determinism

The interacting influences of behavior, internal cognition, and environment

Self-Concept

All our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, in answer to the question, "Who am I?"

Self-Efficacy

An individual's belief in their capabilities to perform a task

Self-Esteem

One's feelings of high or low self-worth

Big Five Theory

A trait theory that identifies five main characteristics that account for most individual differences in personality (Openness to experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Emotional Stability)

Openness to Experience

A personality dimension that characterizes someone in terms of imagination, sensitivity, and curiosity

Conscientiousness

A personality dimension that describes someone who is responsible, dependable, persistent, and organized

Extraversion

A personality dimension describing someone who is sociable, gregarious, and assertive

Agreeableness

A personality dimension that describes someone who is good natured, cooperative, and trusting

Emotional Stability

A personality dimension that characterizes someone as calm, self-confident, secure (positive) vs nervous, depressed, and insecure (negative)

Objective Tests

Personality tests that are administered and scored in a standard way

Personality Inventories

A questionnaire on which people respond to items designed to gauge a wide range of feelings and behaviors; used to assess selected personality traits

Factor Analysis

A statistical procedure that identifies clusters of related items (called factors) on a test; used to identify different dimensions of performance that underlie a person's total score

Type A Personality

Personality type that describes people who are competitive, driven, hostile, and ambitious

Type B Personality

Personality characterized by relatively relaxed, patient, easygoing, amicable behavior