AP Psych Unit 4 (4.5): Social-Cognitive and Trait Theories of Personality

Humanistic Theories

Focuses on the idea personality is not fixed and can be changed, because individuals have an inherent capacity for growth, self-actualization (reaching one’s full potential), and personal fulfillment.

Unconditional Positive Regard

The basic acceptance and support of a person regardless of what the person says or does to help them feel self-assured and to become their genuine personality.

Social-Cognitive Psychology

Suggests that cognitive processes play an important a role in determining our personality and that our personalities are fluid and change over time according to who we are around.

Reciprocal Determinism

Albert Bandura proposed that the complex interaction of person, environment, and behavior interact to determine patterns of of behavior and thus personality.

Albert Bandura

A Canadian-American psychologist and professor of social science in psychology at Stanford University, who contributed to the fields of education and to the fields of psychology.

Self-Concept

A constantly evolving view of oneself in relation to other people by comparing their real self to an ideal self.

Self Efficacy

The belief in your own ability to successfully perform tasks or achieve goals - which may actually increase your ability to achieve them.

Personality Inventories

Any type of standardized assessment/test which is used to measure various aspects of an individual’s personality traits, behaviors, emotions, and thought patterns (includes trait tests and projective tests).

Factor Analysis

A statistical technique used to reduce complexity of data by identifying the underlying of relationships between large sets of variables and organizing this data into simpler, more manageable structures.

Trait/Type Theory Tests

Conclude that personality involves a set of enduring, unique characteristics that lead a person to exhibit typical responses to stimuli based on traits (a relatively permanent characteristic of our personality).

The Big Five Personality Factors

Model of personality traits, many researchers believe that they are five core personality traits (Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism).

Oppenness

Imaginative or practice, interested in variety or routine, independent or conforming.

Conscientiousness

Organized or disorganized, careful or careless, discipline or impulsive.

Extraversion

Sociable or retiring, fun loving or somber, affectionate or reserved.

Agreeableness

Softhearted or ruthless, trusting or suspicious, helpful or uncooperative.

Neuroticism

Calm or anxious, secure or insecure, self-satisfied or self-pitying.