1. Class notes Monday Nov 6th
Socio- Cognitive and Trait perspective

2. Social-Cognitive Perspective
Pioneered by Albert Bandura (remember him??)
Our beliefs and perceptions (cognitions) about ourselves and others (social) PLUS the our traits influence our patterns of behavior (personality)
Reciprocal Determinism – we are both the creators and the products of the situations we surround ourselves with

3. Social – Cognitive Perspective Two Major elements:
Reciprocal Determinism – we are both the creators and the products of the situations we surround ourselves with
Locus of Control – Our beliefs about the degree of control over our own lives has implications for patterns of thought and behavior

4. Examples of Reciprocal Determinism
"For example, suppose a motorist is cut off by another motorist on the road. The first motorist may think angering thoughts, such as "I'm going to teach that guy a lesson."
These thoughts or cognitions increase the likelihood of aggressive behavior (e.g., cutting in front of the other motorist).
The aggressive behavior, in turn, affects he social environment (the other motorist responds aggressively).
The other motorist's actions then lead the first to have even more angering thoughts ("I can't let him get away with that!"), which, in turn, lead to more aggressive behavior. This vicious cycle of escalating aggressive behavior and angering thoughts may lead to an incident of road rage, which can have tragic consequences." (Nevid, Psychology: Concepts and Applications, 2013)

5. Sense of Personal Control
The degree to which you believe you control your own environment
Internal locus of Control – “I make my own fate”
External locus of Control – “I am guided by or reacting to forces beyond my control”
Historical example: The Vikings – had strong beliefs that life was pre - determined by fate  less qualms about going into life threatening situations if your life was already decided for you.

6. Locus of Control and “learned helplessness”
The original experiment

9. Trait Perspective Based on Gordon Allport Meeting with Freud
Rejection of Freud’s emphasis on unconscious and past to explain personality
Focused on conscious motives for thinking and patterns of behavior

10. Personality Trait Dimensions
The Big Five:
Openness
Conscientiousness
Extraversion
Agreeableness
Neuroticism (Emotional Stability)
“OCEAN”
These traits are SPECTRUMS of behavior.
They are believed by trait theorists to predict attitude and behavior.

12. Some people: Cardinal traits – one trait that dominates the personality – the driving force of a person’s behavior – very rare Most people: Central traits – major characteristics of a persons personality – 4 or 5 Secondary traits – traits that occasionally emerge under certain circumstances, not regularly demonstrated unless the conditions are right

13. Objective Personality Trait Indicator
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Indicator (MMPI)

14. MMPI TEST QUESTIONS IN ORDER TRUE OR FALSE (567 QUESTIONS)
19.When I take a new, I like to be tipped off on whom should be gotten next to 20.My sex life is satisfactory 21.At times I have very much wanted to leave home 22.At times I have fits of laughing & crying that I cannot control 23.I am troubled by attacks of nausea and vomiting 24.No one seems to understand me 25.I would like to be a singer 26.I feel that it is certainly best to keep my mouth shut when I’m in trouble 27.Evil spirits possess me at times 28.When someone does me a wrong I feel I should pay him back if I can, just for the principle of the thing. 29.I am bothered by acid stomach several times a week 30.At times I feel like swearing 31.I have nightmares every few nights 32.I find it hard to keep my mind on a task or job 33.I have had very peculiar and strange experiences 34.I have a cough most of the time 35.If people had not had it in for me I would have been much more successful 36.I seldom worry about my heath
1.I like mechanics magazines 2.I have a good appetite 3.I wake up fresh & rested most mornings 4.I think I would like the work of a librarian 5.I am easily awakened by noise 6.I like to read newspaper articles on crime 7.My hands and feet are usually warm enough 8.My daily life is full of things that keep me interested 9.I am about as able to work as I ever was 10.There seems to be a lump in my throat much of the time 11.A person should try to understand his dreams and be guided by or take warning from them 12.I enjoy detective or mystery stories 13.I work under a great deal of tension 14.I have diarrhea once a month or more 15.Once in a while I think of things too bad to talk about 16.I am sure I get a raw deal from life 17.My father was a good man 18.I am very seldom troubled by constipation

15. 37. I have never been in trouble because of my sex behavior 38
37.I have never been in trouble because of my sex behavior 38.During one period when I was a youngster I engaged in petty thievery 39.At times I feel like smashing things 40.Most any time I would rather sit and daydream than to do anything else 41.I have had periods of days, weeks, or months when I couldn’t take care of things because I couldn’t “get going” 42.My family does not like the work I have chosen ( or the work I intend to choose for my life work) 43.My sleep is fitful and disturbed 44.Much of the time my head seems to hurt all over 45.I do not always tell the truth 46.My judgment is better than it ever was 47.Once a week or oftener I feel suddenly hot all over without apparent cause 48.When I am with people I am bothered by hearing very queer things 49.It would be better if almost all laws were thrown away 50.My soul sometimes leaves my body 51.I am in just as good physical health as most of my friends 52.I prefer to pass by school friends, or people I know but have not seen for a long time, unless they speak to me first 53.A minister can cure disease by praying and putting his hand on your head 54.I am liked by most people who know me 55.I am almost never bothered by pains over the heart or in my chest 56.As a youngster I was suspended from school one or more times for cutting up
57.I am a good mixer 58.Everything is turning out just like the prophets of the Bible said it would 59.I have often had to take orders from someone who did not know as much as I did 60.I do not read every editorial in the newspaper everyday 61.I have not lived the right kind of life 62.Parts of my body often have feeling like burning, tingling, crawling, or like “going to sleep” 63.I have had no difficulty in starting or holding my bowel movement 64.I sometimes keep on at a thing until others lose their patience with me 65.I loved my father 66.I see things or animals or people around me that others do not see 67.I wish I could be as happy as others seem to be 68.I hardly ever feel pain in the back of the neck 69.I am very strongly attracted by members of my own sex 70.I used to like drop-the-handkerchief 71.I think a great many people exaggerate their misfortunes in order to gain the sympathy and help of others 72.I am troubled by discomfort in the pit of my stomach every few days or oftener 73.I am an important person 74.I have often wished I were a girl.  (Or if you are a girl) I have never been sorry that I am a girl 75.I get angry sometimes

16. Scoring of the MMPI
T-scores are standardized scores on each dimension for each type. A score of 50 represents the mean. A difference of 10 from the mean indicates a difference of one standard deviation. Thus, a score of 60 is one standard deviation above the mean, while a score of 30 is two standard deviations below the mean.

17. Attribute Scales Abbreviation Description Es Ego Strength Scale OH
Over-Controlled Hostility Scale
MAC
MacAndrews Alcoholism Scale
MAC-R
MacAndrews Alcoholism Scale Revised Do
Dominance Scale
APS
Addictions Potential Scale
AAS
Addictions Acknowledgement Scale
SOD
Social Discomfort Scale A
Anxiety Scale R
Repression Scale
TPA
Type A Scale
MDS
Marital Distress Scale

18. 10 Clinical Scales (dimensions of mental disorders)
Hs- Hypochondriasis- This scale was developed on a group of neurotic patients who showed an excessive concern about their health, presented a variety of somatic complaints, with little or no organic basis, and rejected assurances that there was nothing physically wrong with them. Some of the items comprising this scale reflect particular symptoms or specific comlaints, but many others reflect a more general bodily preoccupation or a self-centered focus.
D- Depression- This scale was developed on psychiatric patients with various forms of symptomatic depression, primarily those with depressive reactions or in a depressive episode of a manic-depressive disorder. The items comprising this scale reflect not only the feelings of discouragement, pessimism, and hopelessness that characterize the clinical status of depressed individuals, but also the basic personality features of hyper-responsibility, high personal standards, and intrapunitiveness.
Hy- Conversion Hysteria- This scale was constructed on patients who exhibited some form of sensory or motor disorder for which no organic basis could be established. Some of the items reflect such specific physical complaints or troubling disorders, but many other items involve denial of problems in one's life or the lack of social anxiety often seen in individuals with these defences.
Pd- Psychopathic Deviate- This measure was developed on individuals who were referred to a psychiatric service for clarification of why they had continuuing difficulties with the law even though they suffered no cultural deprivation and despite their possessing normal intelligence and a relative freedom from serious neurotic or psychotic disorders. Some items concern the willingness of these persons to acknowledge these kinds of trouble; other items reflect their lack of concern about most social and moral standards of conduct.
Mf- Masculinity-Feminity- This scale was constructed on men who sought psychiatric help in their efforts to control their homoerotic feelings and to cope with many painful confusions over their gender role. Similar efforts to construct a scale for women were not successful. The items in this scale were also found to cover a range of emotional reactions, interests, attitudes, and feelings about work, social relationships, and hobbies on which men and women-in-general differ.
Pa- Paranoia- This scale was developed on patients showing primarily some form of paranoid condition or paranoid state. The content of the items in this scale reflects both marked interpersonal sensitivities and a tendency to misinterpret the motives and intentions of others.

19. 3 Validity Scales (Are you answering honestly)
Pt- Psychasthenia- This scale was constructed on individuals who showed some form of obsessive-compulsive disorder. While some of the item content focuses upon these symptomatic concerns, the scale as a whole reflects more generalized anxiety and distress as well as the avowal of high moral standards, self-blame for things that go wrong, and rigid efforts to control impulses.
Sc- Schizophrenia- This measure was constructed on psychiatric patients who were manifesting various forms of schizophrenic disorder. The item content covers a wide range of the strange beliefs, unusual experiences, and special sensitivities characteristic of these individuals.
Ma- Hypomania- This scale was developed on patients in the early stages of a manic episode of manic-depressive disorder. Item content on this scale covers some of the behavioral features of this condition and associated characteristics (overambitiousness, extroversion, and high aspirations).
Si- Social Introversion- This scale was developed on samples of college students who scored at the extremes of the social introversion and extroversion scale in the Thinking-Social-Emotional Introversion (T-S-E) Inventory.
3 Validity Scales (Are you answering honestly)
L- Lie- In completing the MMPI, some individuals fail to comply with the instructions to mark items as they apply to themselves. Instead, they systematically describe someone whom they envision as having a perfect personality or an ideal adjustment. The L scale was developed to assess the likelihood that the test subject had approached the test with this in mind.
F- Infrequency- Individuals unwilling to cooperate with the test instructions may simulate taking the MMPI but may respond to items in virtually a random manner. Others who have extremely marginal reading ability or who are in precarious contact with reality may be doing practically the same thing. Still others may be deliberately exaggerating their difficulties and concerns to ensure that they will be given some special attention or consideration. Any of these approaches to the test will elevate the F scale.
K- Correction- The item content covers a range of characteristics that many individuals prefer to deny about themselves and their families. Scores above the mean on the K scale may reflect the tendency to slant one's answers in a direction that minimizes implications of poor emotional control and personal ineffectiveness.

20. Behaviorist Perspective
Ignores role of unconscious in forming personality
Assumes most of personality is the result of NURTURE not nature (Experience)
We develop patterns of behavior as a result of associations from classical and operant conditioning (a later unit)
John B. Watson
B.F. Skinner