cognitive theories

Are there distinct modes of cognitive processing?

2 two modes of cognitive processing:

• Dual-Processing Model

  • System 1 (Intuitive processor): Fast, emotional, automatic

  • System 2 (Conscious processor): Slow, logical, deliberate

• through Cognitive Styles

Can personality be described in terms of “cognitive styles?

yeah kinda ig:

• Cognitive Styles:

  • Field Dependence/Independence

  • Pessimistic Attribution Style

  • Self-Complexity

  • Need for Cognition

define field dependence/independence

• Field dependence vs. field independence

  • Field dependence: tendency to focus on context around focal object + relationships among objects in environment; correlated with extraversion

  • Field independence: tendency to separate a focal object from its context and focus on the attributes of the focal object; correlated with introversion

discuss reciprocal determinism

Behavior, person, and environment influence each other

distinguish between encodings, expectancies and beliefs, affects, goals and values, and competencies and self-regulation skills

• encodings (e.g. schemas)

• expectancies and beliefs (e.g. stimulus-outcome expectancies, response-outcome expectancies, self-efficacy, locus of control)

• affects (e.g. negative affect, positive affect)

• goals and values (e.g. achievement)

• competencies and self-regulation skills (e.g. self- monitoring, self-reinforcement, attentional skills, cognitive restructuring skills, ability to develop action plans, capacity for delay-of-gratification, affect-control skills)

define behavioural signatures

Stable patterns in specific situations

discuss the operation of the cognitive-affective personality system (i.e., CAPS)

cognitive-affective variables all interact to form a “dynamic” system

define: pessimistic attribution style (congitive style)

• pessimistic attribution style

  • negative explanations for events

  • Attributions for events vary on 3 dimensions:

    • locus (internal or external to the individual),

    • stability

    • globality (across contexts)

  • ppl who show ^ are prone to depression (learned helplessness model)

  • Success: Due to external, unstable, and specific factors Failure: Due to internal, stable, and global factors

    

define: self-complexity

• Refers to:
  (a) the number of self-aspects that are used to represent the self in the self-schema
  (b) the degree of redundancy among these self-aspects

•  High self-complexity: Many self-aspects that are not redundant

  • buffers against the harmful effects of stress by preventing events that occur in one self-aspect from “spilling over” and adversely affecting other self-aspect

• Low self-complexity: Few self-aspects that are not redundant

define: need for cognition (cognitive states)

• Refers to a tendency to engage in and enjoy thinking

• Associated with:

  • higher levels of intelligence

  • greater curiosity

  • lower social anxiety

  • higher conscientiousness and openness, lower neuroticism

  • higher self esteem

what are the 5 cognitive-affective variables

• ”person” variables that interact with environmental variables (i.e., situations) to determine behaviour

• Encodings

• Expectancies and beliefs

• Affects

• Goals and values

• Competencies/self-regulation