Cognitive & behavioural approaches to personality Of Mice & Men Dr Niko Tiliopoulos Room 448, Brennan McCallum building

What’s up doc?  CB objections to the (then) approach(s) to personality: The Clinical Approach The Clinical Approach Observing people with mental health problemsObserving people with mental health problems May be flawed May be flawed How can we really know what is going on in one’s mind, if we cannot directly observe and measure it?How can we really know what is going on in one’s mind, if we cannot directly observe and measure it? Doesn’t allow for generalisation Doesn’t allow for generalisation The Theoretical Approach (aka armchair speculation) The Theoretical Approach (aka armchair speculation) Observations in a variety of situationsObservations in a variety of situations Limited to certain cases Limited to certain cases Conclusions may be biased/subjective Conclusions may be biased/subjective Lack of standardisation or scientific bases Lack of standardisation or scientific bases

Assumptions in CB I BBBBehaviourism claims that the only valid way to know a person is through directly observing their behaviour (B-data) “We can only know what we can sense, and we sense everything we need to know” Personality is the sum of behaviours The causes of personality can be foundin the individual’s environment (i.e. They can be directly observed) The goal of behaviourist is a functional analysis that maps out how exactly behaviour is a function of one’s environmental situation

Assumptions in CB II  Learning: The change in behaviour as a function of experience Personality is a result of learning Personality is a result of learning “Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I’ll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select – doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant, chief, and yes, even beggarman and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, vocations, and race of his ancestors” (Watson, 1930, p. 65)“Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I’ll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select – doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant, chief, and yes, even beggarman and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, vocations, and race of his ancestors” (Watson, 1930, p. 65) According to radical behaviourism: According to radical behaviourism: Personality doesn’t really existPersonality doesn’t really exist Environmental contingencies can shape the person into anything and anyoneEnvironmental contingencies can shape the person into anything and anyone Personality is the end-product of our habit systemsPersonality is the end-product of our habit systems It is more or less fixed by the age of 30It is more or less fixed by the age of 30

Assumptions in CB III  Main types of learning Habituation (becoming used to a stimulus): The process through which the intensity of behavioural responses to repeated stimuli declines through time Habituation (becoming used to a stimulus): The process through which the intensity of behavioural responses to repeated stimuli declines through time

Assumptions in CB IV  Main types of learning (cont’) Conditioning Conditioning Classical (learning by association)Classical (learning by association) Learned helplessness (response to unpredictable stimuli that leads to chronic anxiety and possibly depression) Learned helplessness (response to unpredictable stimuli that leads to chronic anxiety and possibly depression) Anxiety vs. fearAnxiety vs. fear Operant (learning through reinforcement or punishment) Behavioural hedonism: We are (primarily) motivated to learn in order to seek pleasure (reward) and avoid pain (punishment) Behavioural hedonism: We are (primarily) motivated to learn in order to seek pleasure (reward) and avoid pain (punishment) Social (learning through observing and imitating others)Social (learning through observing and imitating others) Authority and role-modellingAuthority and role-modelling Same behaviour Same behaviour Matched-dependent (simple) behaviour Matched-dependent (simple) behaviour Copying (complex behaviour) Copying (complex behaviour) Social learning is mediated by one’s self-efficacy (one’s perception and cognition of their capabilities)Social learning is mediated by one’s self-efficacy (one’s perception and cognition of their capabilities)

Contribution  The first objective personality theories  The first truly scientific theories of personality  The first theories to point out the major effects the environment (situation) has on personality  Major contributions to the treatment of (primarily) phobias, substance abuse, personality, and mood disorders E.g. Cognitive-Behavioural therapy (CBT) E.g. Cognitive-Behavioural therapy (CBT) Systematic Desensitization Systematic Desensitization Aversion Therapy Aversion Therapy Rational-Emotive Therapy (RET) Rational-Emotive Therapy (RET)

Criticism  Deterministic (plus dehumanising) Deny the existence (or effects) of choice Deny the existence (or effects) of choice  Overdependence on animal research  Do not (really) propose a personality structure  Simplistic All we are is learned All we are is learned Our personality is a direct response to environmental stimuli (+ Situationism) Our personality is a direct response to environmental stimuli (+ Situationism) Only or mainly observed behaviour is personality Only or mainly observed behaviour is personality Largely tend to neglect unobservable thoughts, aspirations, emotions, unconscious processes, attitudes, biology Largely tend to neglect unobservable thoughts, aspirations, emotions, unconscious processes, attitudes, biology

Famous theorists in the cognitive & behavioural approach  John Watson ( )  Burrhus Skinner ( )  George Kelly ( )  John Dollard ( )  Neal Miller ( )  Albert Bandura (1925- )  Walter Mischel (1930- )