1. 1 Psychology 305A: Personality Psychology March 13 Lecture 16

2. 2 Optional Paper Due date: April 8. Purposes: To (a) practice the application of personality psychology, (b) explore the personality of an intriguing individual, and (c) think creatively and critically about the course content. Procedure: Conduct a psychobiography. Use up to 3 theories considered in this course to describe, analyze, and interpret the personality of a specific individual (e.g., yourself, a family member, a friend, a public figure, a fictional character). Note: The grade on the paper will be included in the computation of a student’s final grade only if it increases the student’s standing in the course.

3. Psychology 3053 1.What are (a) behaviourism, (b) classical conditioning, and (c) operant conditioning? 2.Can personality development be explained by the processes of classical conditioning and operant conditioning? 3. What is Dollard and Miller’s social-cognitive learning theory of personality? 3 The Learning Perspective

4. By the end of today’s class, you should be able to: 3. distinguish between and generate examples of positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment. 4 1. discuss the three principles of the behaviourist view. 2. describe the process of classical conditioning. 4

5. 5. describe Dollard and Miller’s social-cognitive learning theory of personality. 5 5 4. compare the early behaviourist view with contemporary social-cognitive learning theories of personality.

6. Psychology 3056 What are (a) behaviourism, (b) classical conditioning, and (c) operant conditioning? There are 3 interrelated principles associated with the behaviourist view on personality: 6

7. Psychology 3057 2. Personality is the sum of observable behaviour (vs. instincts, drives, unconscious or conscious experiences, cognitions, needs, motives). 7 3. Observation of overt behaviour is the only method by which to assess personality. 1. Personality is determined by environmental factors.

8. Psychology 3058 Behaviourists suggested that there are 2 learning processes that determine behaviour and, thus, personality: 1. Classical Conditioning  Learning that occurs by repeatedly pairing a neutral stimulus with a stimulus that produces a reflexive response.  Basic terminology: 8

9. Psychology 3059 Unconditioned stimulus (US): The stimulus that produces the reflexive response. Unconditioned response (UR): The reflex that occurs automatically in response to the US. Conditioned stimulus (CS): The neutral stimulus that gradually acquires the ability to produce the reflexive response after repeatedly being paired with the US. Conditioned response (CR): The reflexive response that gradually occurs in response to the CS. 9

10. Psychology 30510 USUR Reflexive CSCR Learned Repeatedly paired Highly similar  Basic process: 10

11. Psychology 30511  Example: In experiments with dogs, Pavlov repeatedly paired the presentation of food with the ringing of a bell. After several pairings, the bell was able to induce salivation in the dogs in the absence of any food. US: FoodUR: Salivation CS: Ringing of a bellCR: Salivation What are the US, UR, CS, and CR in Pavlov’s experiments? 11

12. Psychology 30512 FoodSalivation Reflexive Ringing of Bell Salivation Learned Repeatedly paired Highly similar 12

13. Psychology 30513 2. Operant Conditioning  Learning that occurs through reinforcement and punishment. (a) Positive reinforcement (PR): Involves the introduction of a desired stimulus following a behaviour. Examples: Praise, social recognition, physical affection, food, money. Increases the probability that a behaviour will be repeated. 13

14. Psychology 30514 (b) Negative reinforcement (NR): Involves the reduction or removal of an aversive stimulus following a behaviour. Examples:Discontinuation of the criticism of an overbearing boss after writing a good report, discontinuation of the negative comments of a loved one after weight loss. Increases the probability that a behaviour will be repeated. 14

15. Psychology 30515 (c)Positive punishment (PP): Involves the introduction of an aversive stimulus following a behaviour. Examples: Spankings, verbal reprimands. Decreases the probability that a behaviour will be repeated. 15

16. Psychology 30516 (d)Negative punishment (NP): Involves the removal of a desired stimulus following a behaviour. Examples: Time-outs, groundings. Decreases the probability that a behaviour will be repeated. 16

17. Psychology 30517  Example: Skinner placed pigeons in a “Skinner box” containing a lever and a chute for the delivery of food. As the birds learned that pressing the lever resulted in the delivery of food, the rate at which they pressed the lever gradually increased until they did little else. Food Is this an example of PR or NR? What is the reinforcement in these experiments? PR 17

18. Psychology 30518 Can personality development be explained by the processes of classical conditioning and operant conditioning? Early behaviourists maintained that personality is the constellation of learned behaviours that are acquired through classical conditioning and operant conditioning. 18

19. Psychology 30519 Contemporary learning theorists, however, suggest that this view is flawed; it discounts the internal state of the individual (e.g., instincts, drives, unconscious or conscious experiences, cognitions, needs, motives). Skinner argued that the term “personality” is superfluous because overt behaviour can be completely understood in terms of responses to environmental factors. 19

20. Psychology 30520 Collectively, contemporary learning theories are referred to as social-cognitive learning theories. Accordingly, contemporary learning theorists have elaborated upon conditioning processes, placing greater emphasis on mental processes and social aspects of learning. 20

21. Psychology 30521 What is Dollard and Miller’s social-cognitive learning theory of personality? Dollard and Miller’s social-cognitive learning theory emphasizes 5 concepts: 1. Drive 2. Cue 3. Response 4. Reinforcement 5. Habit Hierarchy 21

22. Psychology 30522  According to Dollard and Miller, learning occurs when there is a change in the order of responses in a habit hierarchy.  Each person has unique habit hierarchies; these unique habit hierarchies account for individual differences in personality. 22

23. By the end of today’s class, you should be able to: 3. distinguish between and generate examples of positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment. 23 1. discuss the three principles of the behaviourist view. 2. describe the process of classical conditioning. 23

24. 5. describe Dollard and Miller’s social-cognitive learning theory of personality. 24 4. compare the early behaviourist view with contemporary social-cognitive learning theories of personality.