Module 47: Social-Cognitive Theories and the Self

social-cognitive perspective

a view of behavior as influenced by the interaction between people’s traits (including their thinking) and their social context

reciprocal determinism

the interacting influences of behavior, internal cognition, and environment

self

in contemporary psychology, assumed to be the center of personality, the organizer of our thoughts, feelings, and actions

spotlight effect

overestimating others’ noticing and evaluating our appearance, performance, and blunders (as if we presume a spotlight shines on us)

self-esteem

our feelings of high or low self-worth

self-efficacy

our sense of competence and effectiveness

self-serving bias

a readiness to perceive ourselves favorably

narcissism

excessive self-love and self-absorption