Unit 4.6: Social-Cognitive &Trait Theories of Personality: Trait Theories

Traits

stable, enduring characteristics that influence a person’s behavior

Factor Analysis

a statistical method used to identify clusters of related traits or variables

Big Five/OCEAN

five major personality traits: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.

Social-cognitive perspective

the view that behavior is influenced by the interaction between thoughts, environment, and learning

behavioral approach

the view that behavior is learned through conditioning and interactions with the environment

self

the central concept of one’s identity, including thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about who you are

spotlight effect

the tendency to overestimate how much others notice and pay attention to you

Self-esteem

a person’s overall sense of self-worth or value.

Self-efficacy

a person’s belief in their ability to succeed in specific situations

Dunning-Kruger effect

When someone is so incompetent that they believe they are exceptionally skilled

Imposter syndrome

the feeling that you are not worthy of your success

Self-serving bias

the tendency to attribute successes to oneself and failures to external factors

Narcissism

an excessive sense of self-importance and a need for admiration

Individualist

a person who prioritizes personal goals and independence over group goals

collectivism

a cultural perspective that prioritizes group goals and interdependence over individual desires