The Social-Cognitive Perspective Unit 10 Presentations Personality

DO-NOW Locus of Control Test -locusofcontrolhandout.pdf

Social-Cognitive Perspective Proposed by Albert Bandura (1925-today) Emphasizes the idea of personality as thecombination of our traits, mental processes, andenvironment.  Conditioning, modeling behavior, observing others  Thinking about a situation  Interpreting and responding to external events How do you and your environment interact?

Albert Bandura Canadian/AmericanPsychologist Most well-known for creatingthe social learning theory,the social cognitive theory,and performing the BoboDoll experiment. Emphasized Self-Efficacy, orone’s beliefs in one’s abilityto achieve goals.

Reciprocal Influences Reciprocal Determinism: The interacting influences ofbehavior, internal cognition, and the environment.  Our personalities are both the products and the creatorsof our environments.

Biopsychosocial Approach to Personality

ACTIVITY (teacher) helplessness-theory-applies-to-human-depression-and-stress.html#lesson helplessness-theory-applies-to-human-depression-and-stress.html#lesson (Seligman)

Personal Control Personal Control: The extent to which onebelieves they have control over theirenvironment. The extent to which they arenot helpless.  Learned Helplessness- When a person or animalfeels as though they have no control over events,and come to feel helpless and hopeless.

Personal Control External Locus of Control: When you believethat chance or forces outside of your controldetermine what happens to you.  Tend to be more depressed, less successful, and lessindependent. Internal Locus of Control: When you believethat you control what happens to you.  Tend to achieve more, have better health and be lessdepressed.

Julian Rotter American Psychologist Best known for his ideas onsocial learning theory andcreating the Internal-ExternalScale. Theorized that one’s expectedoutcome of a behavioraffected their motivation toparticipate in that behavior.

Roy Baumeister American Psychologist Studied Self-Control: Theability of a person to controltheir actions and experiencedelayed gratification. Found that exerting controlover impulses takes energyand must be strengthenedthrough “exercise”.

Optimism vs. Pessimism How one explains positive and negative eventscan affect or demonstrate how in control orhelpless they feel.  Students who are pessimistic would say that, afterfailing a test, they did so because “I’m stupid” or that“there’s nothing I can do about it”. (Lack of control,helplessness)  Students who are optimistic would say they failed atest because “I needed to study more” or “I didn’tmake enough of an effort”. (In control of situation.)

Positive Psychology Positive Psychology: The scientific study of optimalhuman functioning. Has 3 pillars. Positive Emotions:  Pursuing happiness and satisfaction with life. Positive Character:  Creativity, courage, compassion, leadership, self-control. Positive Groups:  Healthy families, effective schools, civil dialogue,community

Review What is the Social-Cognitive Perspective onPersonality?  Reciprocal Determinism? How does learned helplessness affect one’soptimism, feelings of self-worth, and sense ofcontrol?