4.6b - Social-Cognitive and Trait Theories of Personality: Social-Cognitive Theories

social-cognitive perspective

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

behavioral approach

focuses on the effects of learning on our personality development

reciprocal determinism

the interacting influences of behavior, internal cognition, and environment

Compare the different major personality theories (pg. 564)

Psychodynamic

• Freud

• unconscious, childhood conflicts, defense mechanisms

• id, ego, superego (pleasure-seeking impulses, realistic, and idealistic)

• free association, projective tests, dream analysis

Humanistic

• Maslow, Rogers

• strive for self-actualization

• unconditional positive regard, self

• questionnaires, therapy sessions, life story approach

Trait

• Eysenck et. al.

• stable/enduring characteristics

• dimensions of personality, Big Five

• personality inventories

Social-cognitive

• Bandura

• traits interact w/ social context to produce behaviors

• behavior patterns (from conditioning and observational learning)

• observe behavior in realistic situations (simulate!)