4.6b social-cognitive and trait theories of personality: social-cognitive theories

AP psych

Social-cognitive perspective

a view of behavior as influenced by the interaction between peoples traits (including their thinking) and their context

behavior approach

focuses on the effects of learning on our personality development

ex;

1. Classical Conditioning (Pavlov) – Learning Through Association

Example:

• A dog learns to salivate at the sound of a bell because it has been repeatedly paired with food (Pavlov’s experiment).

• A student feels anxious every time they enter a math class because they previously had negative experiences with math tests.

2. Operant Conditioning (Skinner) – Learning Through Consequences

Example:

• A child receives praise (positive reinforcement) for doing homework, making them more likely to do it again.

• A worker gets a bonus for meeting a sales goal, increasing their motivation.

• A teenager loses phone privileges (negative punishment) for breaking curfew, making them less likely to break it again.

3. Observational Learning (Bandura) – Learning by Watching Others

Example:

• A child learns to say “thank you” after watching their parents express gratitude.

• A teenager mimics aggressive behavior after watching violent video games or movies.

reciprocal determinism

the interacting influences of behavior, internal cognition, and environment.

ex;

1. Social Media Use

• Behavior: A person frequently posts on social media.

• Personal Factors: They enjoy receiving likes and comments, which boosts their self-esteem.

• Environment: Their online engagement increases, and they get more followers, encouraging them to post even more.

2. Shyness in Social Settings

• Behavior: A person avoids social gatherings.

• Personal Factors: They believe they are socially awkward and fear judgment.

• Environment: Because they don’t engage socially, they miss chances to develop confidence, reinforcing their belief in their awkwardness.

Biopsychosocial approach to psychology

Biological influences

• genetically determined temperament

• autonomic nervous system

• brain activity

Psychological Influenced

• learned responses

• unconscious thought processes

• expectations and interpretations

Social-cultural influences

• childhood experiences situational factors

• cultural expectations

  • social support

Research methods in personality

Case study

• perspectives incorporating this assessment- psychoanalytic, humanistic

• benefits- less expensive

• weakness- may not generalize to the larger population

Survey

• perspectives incorporating this assessment- trait, social-cognitive

• benefits- results tend to be reliable and can be generalized to the larger population

• weaknesses- may be expensive; correlational findings

Projective Tests

• perspectives incorporating this assessment- psychodynamic

• benefits- designed to get beneath the conscious surface of a persons self understanding; may be a good ice breaker

• weaknesses-results have weak validity and reliability

Personality Inventories

• perspectives incorporating this assessment- trait

• benefits- generally reliable and empirically validated

• weaknesses- explore a limited number of traits

Observation

• perspectives incorporating this assessment- social-cognitive

• benefits- allows researchers to study the effects of environmental factors on the way an individuals personality is expressed

• weaknesses- results may not apply to the larger population

Experimentation

• perspectives incorporating this assessment- social-cognitive

• benefits- determines cause and effect

• weaknesses- some variables cannot feasibly or ethically be manipulated

How do social-cognition theorists view personality development, and how do they explore behaior?

• social-cognitive researchers apply principles of learning, cognition, and social behavior to personality

• assessment simulations involving stimulated conditions applies the principle that the best predictor of future behavior is a persons actions in similar situations

  • ex;

  • Simulation: A job candidate is given a hypothetical workplace conflict (e.g., handling an upset customer).

  • Application: Employers analyze the candidate’s response, assuming their past approach to similar issues predicts future performance.

  • Example: A customer service applicant is asked, "Tell me about a time you dealt with an angry customer. How did you handle it?"