The cognitive and social-cognitive theories reviewed in this session help to expand your understanding of personality in that forces either within or beyond the individual are considered as forces in shaping behavior. Thus, constructs, thoughts and expectancies as cognitive components of the individual as well as situational cues are used to explain behavior. Mischel’s influence lies in his challenge that personality traits alone, are not accurate predictors of behavior across situations. Thus, traits are poor predictors of behavior across situations. This theorist argues that it is the interaction of personal characteristics (e.g. cognitive-affective processes) and situational aspects that ultimately give rise to stability of behavior across situations (Allen, 2016). Such a position was “heresy” to those psychologists favoring the trait approach.
Both Rotter’s social learning model and Bandura’s social-cognitive theory of learning emphasize the importance of situational influences as they impact an individual’s behavior and help to shape behavioral consistencies through events and expectations (Allen, 2016). Strict behavioral interpretations of “personality” no longer appeared to be viable to these personologists.
Your Task
1. Main Entry: Start a new thread, and update the topic title, identifying the post as uniquely yours (e.g., Joes thoughts on …; Research gone wild…). Within the body of your post, clearly identify each segment of the required response in order to facilitate discussion development.
a. Mischel embraced an “interaction” point of view on human behavior. Explain this concept and provide an example of your own behavior to demonstrate your understanding. How does Mischel address cultural differences in behavioral expression in his model?
b. Rotter is best known for his concept of internal/external locus of control. Explain this concept. Now, go to Box 12.4 and actually take the I/E scale. Interpret your results. Do you see this as a valid measure in predicting your behavior? Why? Why not?
c. A core component of Bandura’s model is learning through observation by virtue of vicarious reinforcement. Provide and example of this principle.
2. Post Constructive Peer Feedback: In addition to posting your Main Entry, respond to at least TWO (2) of your classmates’ entries. In four (4) or more sentences, provide constructive feedback. Do you agree with the points presented? Why? Do you have some additional thoughts to share? Share them. When providing your feedback present the logic behind it.
Classmate 1
Question A:
Mischel embraced an “interaction” point of view on human behavior. Explain this concept and provide an example of your own behavior to demonstrate your understanding. How does Mischel address cultural differences in behavioral expression in his model?
Answer: A cognitive-affective unit is the driving force behind our personality system, according to Michel
(Allen, 2016)
. In order to make sense of the features of a particular situation, these units interact with one another and guide cognition, affect, and potential behaviors (Allen, 2016). As an example, if I saw someone helping an elder that fell my behavior in that situation would be determined by the ‘units’ activated in my personality system. Values, beliefs, and expectations can all be active at the same time and interact together to dictate my behavior. This model also takes into account cultural differences, affecting which units are activated in certain situations, and how they interact with each other.
Question B.
Rotter is best known for his concept of internal/external locus of control. Explain this concept. Now, go to Box 12.4 and actually take the I/E scale. Interpret your results. Do you see this as a valid measure in predicting your behavior? Why? Why not?
Answer: In relation to the locus of control concept, Rotter refers to one’s understanding of how events in one’s life are caused. An individual’s self-esteem is determined by the degree to which he believes he is in control.
Answer C. Bandura suggests that people can learn through observational learning, (Allen, 2016) which does not require them to perform any behavior. It is more likely that the observer will also behave in a similar manner if the observer observes that a behavior is reinforced, meaning it is desirable for the observer. I may model my friend’s behavior, for example, if I see him or her going to the studying for a test and I notice that he or she started getting higher and better grades as time goes on. I would then value that behavior as successful and model it to get good grades too.
References:
Bem P. Allen. (2016). Personality Theories : Development, Growth, and Diversity: Vol. Fifth edition. Psychology Press.
(Allen, 2016)
CLASSMATE 2
1. Mischel embraced an “interaction” point of view on human behavior. Explain this concept and provide an example of your own behavior to demonstrate your understanding. How does Mischel address cultural differences in behavioral expression in his model?
In an interaction point of view, behavior is influenced by the way in which personal factors and social situations interact with one another (Allen, 2016, p.271). To provide a personal example that accurately represents this point of view, I shall discuss a specific behavior I exhibited as an adolescent. First, it should be noted that the person I admired the most at this time was my younger cousin, who was a professional opera singer and musician, and the overall prodigal child of my family. I both admired and envied her, but most of all, I so desperately wanted to be liked by her. Therefore, on the rare occasion that we got to spend time together, I found myself unknowingly adopting some of her quirks and mannerisms, which may have been a subconscious attempt at appearing more likable and relatable to her. For example, her sense of humor strongly relied on having normal conversations while talking in an accent from a certain movie, with Napoleon Dynamite being her favorite to reference. Without realizing it, I began to display this behavior each time we were together even though it was not a typical characteristic of my own humor. In doing so, however, we were able to bond more easily, and it even led to the creation of more “shared” interests involving music preferences, Broadway plays, fashion taste, etc. After going on a month-long trip with her and her family, this imitative behavior I exhibited in her presence escalated to the point where I continued to display some of her behaviors for several months following the trip, with some even becoming a long-lasting part of my personality. In my opinion, this example perfectly demonstrates the interaction point of view. The desire to be liked by my cousin was the personal factor that interacted with a social situation, represented by the bonding interactions I had with her, to produce behaviors that reflected those of my cousin.
Mischel initially addresses cultural differences in behavioral expression by first acknowledging that behavior is not going to be developed and displayed in the same manner across various cultures. Thus, he avoids the generalization of behavioral traits among cultures by refusing to promote traits that are content-laden and may not possess the same meaning to different cultures (Allen, 2016, p.285). Additionally, Mischel recognizes the tendency of some cultures to avoid the use of trait labels in social interactions that involve self-descriptive statements. According to a passage in the textbook, it is customary in East Asian cultures for a person to introduce oneself based on social roles, such as “I am a businessperson”, rather than by trait labels, like “I am loyal” (Allen, 2016, p.285). Mischel expresses great concern for this occurrence and thereby chooses to avoid the issue in the development of his model and his overall position regarding cultural diversity.
2. Rotter is best known for his concept of internal/external locus of control. Explain this concept. Now, go to Box 12.4 and actually take the I/E scale. Interpret your results. Do you see this as a valid measure in predicting your behavior? Why? Why not?
The locus of control, as explained by Rotter, refers to the manner in which individuals perceive the outcomes of their behaviors, actions, and personal characteristics. Based on this psychological concept, an individual will attribute his or her behavioral outcomes to either an external or internal locus of control. According to Rotter, those who believe in the external locus of control will typically consider their behavioral reinforcement to be a byproduct of luck, fate, or other unpredictable forces beyond their control (Allen, 2016, p.289). It can be assumed that these individuals rarely take personal accountability for their actions and behaviors, and rather, choose to blame the powerful, uncontrollable forces of nature that guide each person’s existential “destiny”. For instance, a person with an external locus of control point of view may consider a job promotion as nothing more than a bout of luck, rather than the result of hard work and dedication. Alternatively, people who believe in the internal locus of control consider behavioral reinforcement to be determined by the individual’s own personal characteristics, interactions, and behaviors (Allen, 2016, p.289). This view implies that every person is to be held accountable for his or her own actions and behaviors, and that behavioral reinforcement cannot be attributed to forces outside of the individual’s control. For example, these individuals are likely to perceive a job promotion as the byproduct of consistent, dependable, and thorough work instead of the mystical intentions of luck, fate, or destiny.
Based on the results from the I-E scale, my beliefs are evenly balanced between an external and internal locus of control. Despite the doubts I had about this test, I discovered that many aspects of my personality and beliefs are accurately represented by specific characteristics of both an external and internal locus of control. In regard to an internal locus of control, I have the tendency to credit myself for personal accomplishments, rather than attribute them to some type of external force. I strongly believe that a person’s accomplishments rely on the individual’s talents, efforts, and determination to succeed. Additionally, one behavior I exhibit that is associated with external locus of control includes the tendency to live unpredictably instead of requiring strategic planning and organization to function. However, this tendency to be unstructured and unorganized could be completely unrelated to external locus of control and may be better attributed to anxiety. Especially considering I have fully acknowledged the unpredictability of my nature and have tried on many occasions to improve. Therefore, I do not see this as a completely valid way to predict behaviors. Rather, I view the IE scale as a way to identify certain personality characteristics, which is useful in determining the appropriate course of action in psychological therapy or research.
3. A core component of Bandura’s model is learning through observation by virtue of vicarious reinforcement. Provide an example of this principle.
A personal example I have about learning from vicarious reinforcement involves the way I learned how to present myself to others while working in the customer service industry. My first job was at my grandmother’s reception hall where she frequently hosted and catered weddings, business parties, and other celebratory events. It was my duty to roam around and serve hors d’oeuvres to guests without being a nuisance. Considering this was my first job, however, I was overwhelmingly nervous and socially awkward when interacting with guests so I would occasionally hide out with the bartender in her nook of the room and intently observe the other servers. In doing so, I identified the behaviors that my coworkers displayed which yielded positive reactions from the guests. Based on these observations, I learned the appropriate way to present myself, approach guests, and engage in social interactions that would ultimately lead to the goal of customer satisfaction. Due to this lesson acquired through vicarious reinforcement, I obtained valuable skills that have helped me to excel at every job I have had since then.
References
Allen, B. P. (2016). Personality theories: Development, growth, and diversity. Psychology Press.
Order an Essay Now & Get These Features For Free:
Turnitin Report
Formatting
Title Page
Citation
Outline
