1. Module 20 Social Cognitive & Trait Theories

2. SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY Definition –says that personality development is shaped primarily by three forces: __________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________

3. SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY (CONT.) Interaction of three factors –Cognitive-personal factors cognitive factors Include our beliefs, expectations, values, intentions, and social roles personal factors include our emotional makeup and our biological and genetic influences –Behaviors include a variety of personal actions, such as the things we do and say

4. SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY (CONT.) Interaction of three factors –Environmental factors include our social, political, and cultural influences, as well as our particular learning experiences

5. SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY (CONT.)

6. Bandura’s social cognitive theory –assumes that personality development, growth, and change are influenced by four distinctively human cognitive processes: –_______________________________________ –Bandura: much of human personality and behavior is shaped by our _____________________________

7. SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY (CONT.) Four cognitive factors 1.Language ability ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ 2.Observational learning ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

8. SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY (CONT.) Four cognitive factors 3. Purposeful behavior ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______ 4. Self-analysis ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

9. SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY (CONT.) Locus of control –refers to our beliefs about how much control we have over situations or rewards –Internal locus of control ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ____________________________ –External locus of control ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________

10. SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY (CONT.) Delay of gratification –refers to not taking an immediate but less desirable reward and instead waiting and using an object or completing a task that promises a better reward in the future Self-efficacy –refers to the confidence in your ability to organize and execute a given course of action to solve a problem or accomplish a task –use previous experiences –compare –listen –use feedback

11. TRAIT THEORY Definition –an approach for analyzing the structure of personality by measuring, identifying, and classifying similarities and differences in personality characteristics or traits –Trait relatively ______________________________ in a particular way Gordon Allport –found ________; out of these _______were considered to fit definition of personality traits –____________________ in how and individual adjusts to his or her environment

12. TRAIT THEORY (CONT.) Raymond Cattell –took Allport’s list of 4,500 traits and used factor analysis to reduce the list to the most basic traits –factor analysis complicated statistical method that finds relationships among different or diverse items and allows them to be grouped together _____________ Cattell called source traits describe all differences among personalities

13. TRAIT THEORY (CONT.) Finding traits: big five –__________________ model organizes personality traits and describes differences in personality using five categories (O.C.E.A.N) openness conscientiousness extraversion agreeableness neuroticism

14. TRAIT THEORY (CONT.)

15. Person Versus Situation –person-situation interaction ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ example: Rush Limbaugh could be righteous in criticizing Jerry Garcia’s drug use while being a drug addict himself

16. GENETIC INFLUENCES ON TRAITS Behavioral genetics –study of how ______________________ influence and interact with _____________________ to shape our _____________, ___________, __________, and ____________ and also how we behave, adapt, and adjust to our environment Studying genetic influences –Heritability ____________________ how much of some cognitive, personality, or behavioral trait is influenced by genetic factors

17. GENETIC INFLUENCES ON TRAITS Influences on Personality –one reason for brothers and sisters developing different personalities is: 50% of their genes are different 50% are shared –another reason is: each brother’s or sister’s unique set of genetic factors interacts differently with his or her environment

18. GENETIC INFLUENCES ON TRAITS Researchers have broken down the contributions to personality development into the four factors: –40% genetic factors –27% nonshared environmental factors –26% error –7% shared environmental factors

19. APPLICATION Objective personality tests (self-report questionnaires) –specific written statements that require individuals to indicate (example) checking “true” or “false” whether the statements apply to them Objective personality tests are used in: –business settings –clinical settings

20. APPLICATION Integrity Tests –supposed to assess whether individuals have high levels of the trait of honesy –focus on measuring a single personality trait honesty Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 –true-false self report questionnaire that consists of 338 statements describing a wide range of normal and abnormal behaviors –measures the personality style and emotional adjustment in individuals with mental illness

21. APPLICATION Horoscopes 78% of women 70% of men believe that horoscopes are so correct that they were written especially for them Reliability and Validity –Barnum principle (Named after P. T. Barnum) method of listing many general traits so that almost everyone who reads the horoscope thinks that these traits apply specifically to him or her traits are so general that they apply almost to everyone

22. APPLICATION Reliability and Validity –Validity: tests measures what it claims or is supposed to measure –Reliability: Consistency –person’s score on a test at one point in time should be similar to the score obtained by the same person on a similar tests later in time