AP Psychology SOCIAL-COGNITIVE THEORIES

 Social-cognitive perspective emphasized the interaction of cognitive, behavioral, environmental and learning factors, which affect personality.  How do your thoughts, behaviors & environment influence your personality? SOCIAL-COGNITIVE PERSPECTIVE

 Perspective stating that understanding personality involves considering the situation and thoughts before, during, and after an event SOCIAL-COGNITIVE PERSPECTIVE ALBERT BANDURA (1925- )

SOCIAL COGNITIVE DIFFERS FROM HUMANISTIC & PSYCHOANALYTIC PERSPECTIVES IN THREE WAYS: 1.It relies heavily on experimental findings 2.It emphasizes conscious, self-regulating behavior 3.It emphasizes that our sense of self (personality) can vary, depending on our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in a given situation.

THE SOCIAL-COGNITIVE PERSPECTIVE: INTERACTING WITH OUR ENVIRONMENT Albert Bandura

 Reciprocal determinism - explains personality is the result of behavioral, cognitive, and environmental factors  According to Bandura, personality is influenced by:  Thoughts (cognition),  The way a person acts (behavior),  The environment one grows up in. SOCIAL COGNITIVE PERSPECTIVE KEY TERMS

RECIPROCAL DETERMINISM

 Self-efficacy—the beliefs or opinions a person has about him or herself, also influence personality.  The thought of “I think I can” would positively affect the way a person acts when performing a task or activity SOCIAL COGNITIVE PERSPECTIVE KEY TERMS

 The sense that one can control the outcome of one’s environment  We develop this in childhood but it continues as a lifelong process. SELF-EFFICACY-ACQUISITION Performance Outcomes Self-Modeling Verbal Encouragment Emotional State Development of Self-Efficacy Behavior and Performance

 We develop new behaviors and strengthen our self- efficacy by observing others and through mastery experiences.  Different from Self- Esteem which is more global – How you feel about yourself in overall. SELF-EFFICACY-STRENGTHS

THE SOCIAL-COGNITIVE PERSPECTIVE: PERSONAL CONTROL Julian Rotter and Martin Seligman

 Rotter believed that learning results in expectancies, which are our expectations of the outcome of a situation. JULIAN ROTTER—EXPECTANCY THEORY  These expectancies guide behavior  Example: personal effort, through what we think is going to happen- this can also be influenced by our sense of control in a situation

 The perception that chance, or forces beyond a person’s control, control one’s fate  The expectation to fail because you did not write the test, or don’t know what is going to be on the test EXTERNAL LOCUS OF CONTROL

 The perception that we control our own fate  You control how long and how much you study, resulting in the expectation that you can pass the test INTERNAL LOCUS OF CONTROL

 Seligman believed that learned helplessness results when people who repeatedly attempt something and continuously fail will eventually give up MARTIN SELIGMAN--LEARNED HELPLESSNESS

 Martin Seligman studied dogs that were unable to escape a painful stimulus and eventually stopped trying to escape. LEARNED HELPLESSNESS

THE SOCIAL-COGNITIVE PERSPECTIVE: EVALUATING THE PERSPECTIVE

EVALUATION OF SOCIAL COGNITIVE PERSPECTIVE  Well-grounded in empirical, laboratory research  However, laboratory experiences are rather simple and may not reflect the complexity of human interactions  Ignores the influences of unconscious, emotions, conflicts instead placing responsibility of behavior firmly on ourselves.

Freud  Human aggression is a universal unconscious instinct controlled by the superego and restraints of society. Bandura  All behavior is driven by conscious goals and motives.  Aggression is the result of a deliberate, rational choice in a particular situation. FREUD VS. BANDURA ON HUMAN AGGRESSION