1. The Social-Cognitive Perspective of Personality Reciprocal Influences Personal Control Assessing Behavior in Situations Evaluating the Social Cognitive Perspective

2. Bandura is Back! Remember the bobo doll? Social cognitive theory stems from the social learning theory (under the umbrella of behaviorism).  Behaviorism (as introduced by John B. Watson of Little Albert fame) supports a direct and unidirectional pathway between stimulus and response, representing human behavior as a simple reaction to external stimuli. Bandura (1986, 2001, 2005) believes that personality is the result of an interaction that takes place between a person and their social context. Albert Bandura

3. The Social-Cognitive Theory of Personality This theory focuses on how we interact with our environment. Behavior is influenced by the interaction between our traits (including our thinking) and our social context. Bandura named this person-environment interaction reciprocal determinism (definition: the interacting influences between personality and environmental factors).

4. Reciprocal Influences – Specific ways in which individuals and environments interact Different people choose different environments.  The TV you watch, the friends you hang out with, the music you listen to, were all chosen by you (your disposition). But after you choose the environment, it also shapes you...

5. Our personalities shape how we interpret and react to events.  Anxious people react to situations differently than relaxed people (they are more attuned to threatening events). Reciprocal Influences – Specific ways in which individuals and environments interact

6. Our personalities help create situations to which we react.  If I expect someone to be angry with me, I may give that person the cold shoulder, creating the very behavior I expect. Reciprocal Influences – Specific ways in which individuals and environments interact

7. Figure 13.6 Reciprocal determinism Myers: Psychology, Ninth Edition Copyright © 2010 by Worth Publishers

8. Assessing Behavior in Situations Social-cognitive psychologists observe people in realistic and simulated situations because they find that it is the best way to predict the behavior of others in similar situations.

9. Personal Control Our sense of controlling our environment rather than the environment controlling us.

10. Personal Control Social-cognitive psychologists emphasize our sense of personal control, whether we control the environment or the environment controls us. Julian Rotter identified two kinds:  External locus of control  Internal locus of control

11. External Locus of Control External locus of control refers to the perception that chance or outside forces beyond our personal control determine our fate.

12. Internal Locus of Control Internal locus of control refers to the perception that we can control our own fate.

13. Internals vs. Externals Who ends up achieving more in school and work?  Answer? Internals. Who enjoys better health?  Answer? Internals. Who experiences more depression?  Answer? Externals. Who doesn’t cope with stressful situations as well?  Answer? Externals. Why do you think all of this is? Remember the article in your 40 Studies book about the people given choices or not given choices in the nursing home (Rodin and Langer)? It’s all about personal control!

14. Personal Control in The Shawshank Redemption Brooks – Paroled after 50 years in prison, but paroled against his will. He considers killing another inmate just to be allowed to stay in prison. This is what happens when he is forced into the outside world: The Shawshank Redemption – Brooks (Watch at home: http://www.youtu be.com/watch?v= kotNxb2YApk) http://www.youtu be.com/watch?v= kotNxb2YApk

15. A Brief Break… Anagram Activity

16. Learned Helplessness Martin Seligman (1965) Seligman and his colleagues were studying how animals learn to escape shocks – it basically started out as a kind of conditioning experiment (review the experiment through PsychSim program). They discovered that when the animal was unable to escape from unpleasant events (no control over the situation), it soon stopped trying. Learned helplessness refers to the hopelessness and passive resignation an animal or human learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events.

17. Learned Helplessness When unable to avoid repeated adverse events, an animal or human learns helplessness. Figure 13.8 Learned helplessness Myers: Psychology, Ninth Edition Copyright © 2010 by Worth Publishers Butterfly won’t leaveButterfly won’t leave (Watch at home: http://ap-psychology- 1st.grandblanc.high.schoolfusion.us /modules/locker/files/group_files.pht ml?gid=1316804&parent=6157879& msg_notify=File+uploaded.&session id=5bc13eb237708aa8f309450ec31 e0546) http://ap-psychology- 1st.grandblanc.high.schoolfusion.us /modules/locker/files/group_files.pht ml?gid=1316804&parent=6157879& msg_notify=File+uploaded.&session id=5bc13eb237708aa8f309450ec31 e0546 Anagrams: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=gFmFOmprTt0 http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=gFmFOmprTt0

18. Positive Psychology and Humanistic Psychology Positive psychology, such as humanistic psychology, attempts to foster human fulfillment. Positive psychology, in addition, seeks positive subjective well-being, positive character, and positive social groups. Martin Seligman Courtesy of Martin E.P. Seligman, PhD Director, Positive Psychology Center/ University of Pennsylvania

19. Optimism vs. Pessimism An optimistic or pessimistic attributional style is your way of explaining positive or negative events. Positive psychology aims to discover and promote conditions that enable individuals and communities to thrive.

20. Evaluating the Social-Cognitive Perspective Pros:  The social-cognitive perspective on personality sensitizes researchers to the effects of situations on and by individuals.  It builds on learning and cognition research. Cons:  Critics say that social-cognitive psychologists pay a lot of attention to the situation and pay less attention to the individual, his unconscious mind, his emotions, and his genetics.

21. The Biopsychosocial Approach to Personality Behavior emerges from an interplay of external and internal influences. Figure 13.7 The biopsychosocial approach to the study of personality Myers: Psychology, Ninth Edition Copyright © 2010 by Worth Publishers

22. Situational Influences on Personality I’ll leave you with an interesting article: “When Situations Not Personality Dictate Our Behavior” – http://www.spring.org.uk/2009/12/when- situations-not-personality-dictate-our- behaviour.php?utm_source=feedburner& utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Fee d%3A+PsychologyBlog+%28PsyBlog%29 http://www.spring.org.uk/2009/12/when- situations-not-personality-dictate-our- behaviour.php?utm_source=feedburner& utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Fee d%3A+PsychologyBlog+%28PsyBlog%29