Cognitive Approaches to Personality and Self-Concept

Cognition

Awareness and thinking processes in personality.

Information Processing

Transformation of sensory input into mental representations.

Perception

Imposing order on sensory information received.

Interpretation

Making sense of or explaining events.

Conscious Goals

Standards for evaluating oneself and others.

Personalizing Cognition

Recalling personal experiences related to new events.

Objectifying Cognition

Recalling objective facts in response to events.

Field Dependence

Reliance on external visual cues for perception.

Field Independence

Using internal sensations to interpret visual information.

Rod and Frame Test

Measures field dependence through visual adjustments.

Herman Witkin

Developed the Rod and Frame Test in 1948.

Solomon Asch

Collaborated on the Rod and Frame Test.

Information Age

Era of rapid growth in cognitive study (1970s-1980s).

Mental Behaviors

Includes perceiving, interpreting, and remembering.

World View

Personal lens through which events are interpreted.

Attitudes

Personal beliefs influencing perception and interpretation.

Values

Core principles guiding individual judgments and actions.

Beliefs

Convictions that shape how reality is interpreted.

Expectations

Anticipated outcomes influencing perception of events.

Visual Field

External cues affecting perception and cognition.

Cognitive Styles

Different strategies for problem-solving and thinking.

Mental Representations

Internal images or concepts formed from sensory input.

Field Dependence

Difficulty in locating figures within complex backgrounds.

Field Independence

Ability to find hidden figures quickly and efficiently.

Embedded Figures Test (EFT)

Test measuring field dependence-independence using geometric figures.

Field-independent students

Favor natural sciences, math, and engineering fields.

Field-dependent students

Prefer social sciences and education disciplines.

Social orientation

Field-dependent individuals rely on social information.

Autonomy

Field-independent individuals function with greater independence.

Impersonal orientation

Field-independent people display detachment in social contexts.

Distraction filtering

Field-independent individuals excel at ignoring irrelevant information.

Hypermedia learning

Field-independent students learn better in multimedia environments.

Facial expression decoding

Ability to interpret emotional cues from facial expressions.

Emotion recognition study

Research showing field-independent subjects excel in difficult tasks.

Sensory stimulation response

Field-independent people better manage distractions in tasks.

Pain tolerance

Variation in pain perception among individuals.

Reducer-augmenter theory

Theory explaining differences in pain tolerance levels.

Low pain tolerance

Nervous system amplifies sensory information effects.

High pain tolerance

Nervous system reduces sensory input effects.

Asenath Petrie

Researcher who studied individuality in pain perception.

Pattern recognition

Field-independent individuals excel at finding and interpreting patterns.

Complex information analysis

Field-independent individuals analyze intricate emotional expressions better.

Multimedia learning effectiveness

Field-independent students switch between media faster.

Social information reliance

Field-dependent individuals often seek others' opinions.

Asenath Petrie

A notable figure referenced in personality studies.

Pain Tolerance

Ability to withstand discomfort without excessive reaction.

Reducing Subjects

Individuals seeking strong stimulation due to low sensory reactivity.

Augmenting Subjects

Individuals with high sensory reactivity, seeking less stimulation.

Locus of Control

Belief about control over life events and outcomes.

Learned Helplessness

Condition where individuals feel powerless to change outcomes.

Kelly's Personal Construct Theory

Theory viewing humans as scientists interpreting life events.

Personal Constructs

Mental frameworks used to interpret and predict events.

Fundamental Postulate

Anticipation of events channels psychological processes.

Transparent Templates

Mental models created to fit over real-world experiences.

Construct Revision

Updating mental frameworks based on new experiences.

Julian Rotter

Psychologist known for Social Learning Theory.

Social Learning Theory

Behavior determined by expectancy of outcomes and their value.

Internals

Individuals who believe they control events in their lives.

Externals

Individuals who view events as beyond their control.

External Locus of Control

Belief that outcomes are determined by external factors.

Internal Locus of Control

Belief that individuals control their life outcomes.

Walter Mischel

Psychologist known for Cognitive-Affective Personality System.

Cognitive-Affective Personality System (CAPS)

Theory emphasizing individual differences in cognitive and emotional processes.

Behavior Correlation

Relationship between personality traits and observed behaviors.

Trait Scores

Numerical values representing personality traits measured in assessments.

Accessibility of Processes

Ease of access to cognitive and affective responses.

Verbal Aggression

Aggressive speech influenced by specific situations.

Impulse Control Problems

Difficulty managing immediate reactions or urges.

Cognitive-Affective Personality System

Mischel's theory linking cognition, emotion, and behavior.

Psychological Situation

Individual's interpretation of a situation's meaning.

Pessimistic Explanatory Style

Attributing negative events to internal, stable, global causes.

Optimistic Explanatory Style

Attributing positive events to internal, stable, global causes.

Attributional Style

Tendency to explain events in specific ways.

Learned Helplessness

Feeling unable to control outcomes after repeated failures.

Causal Attribution

Explanation for the cause of an event.

Profiles of Aggression

Distinct patterns of aggression based on situations.

Situational Characteristics

Specific context influencing behavior and reactions.

Internal Causes

Factors within a person influencing their behavior.

Stable Causes

Consistent factors that do not change over time.

Global Causes

Broad factors affecting multiple areas of life.

External Causes

Factors outside a person influencing their behavior.

Temporary Causes

Factors that change and are not permanent.

Specific Causes

Narrow factors affecting particular events or situations.

Aggression After Warning

Children aggressive when warned by an adult.

Aggression After Teasing

Children aggressive when teased by peers.

Health Prediction

Pessimistic style linked to poorer health outcomes.

Stress Recovery

Pessimists struggle more with recovering from stress.

Positive Well-Being

Optimists experience better health and less stress.

Personal Project

Set of actions aimed at achieving a selected goal.

Brian Little

Psychologist who studies personal projects and personality.

Neuroticism

Personality trait linked to stress and negative project ratings.

Self-Efficacy

Belief in one's ability to achieve specific goals.

Cognitive Social Learning Theory

Emphasizes cognitive and social processes in goal pursuit.

Bandura's Theory

Highlights intention, reflection, and behavior monitoring.

Growth Mindset

Belief that intelligence can improve with effort.

Achievement View of Intelligence

Knowledge acquired relative to peers of the same age.

Aptitude View of Intelligence

Ability to learn and become educated.

Emotional Intelligence

Awareness and regulation of one's own emotions.

Cultural Context of Intelligence

Intelligence defined by culturally valued skills.

Mastery-Oriented Behaviors

Behaviors focused on learning and persistence.