Myers’ PSYCHOLOGY

(7th Ed)

Chapter 15Personality

Social Cognitive & Exploring the SelfJames A. McCubbin, PhD

Clemson University

Worth Publishers

Social-Cognitive Perspective

Social-Cognitive Perspective views behavior as influenced

by the interaction between persons and their social context

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW9I7X9Wmqo

Albert Bandura

Reciprocal Determinism the interacting influences between

personality and environmental factors Reciprocal Influences

Different people choose different environments

Our personality shapes how we interpret and react to events

Our personalities help create situations to which we react

Social-Cognitive Perspective

Social-Cognitive Perspective

Personal Control our sense of controlling our

environments rather than feeling helpless

External Locus of Control the perception that chance or outside

forces beyond one’s personal control determine one’s fate

OR

Social-Cognitive Perspective

Internal Locus of Control the perception that one controls

one’s own fate Learned Helplessness

the hopelessness and passive resignation an animal or human learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events

Social-Cognitive Perspective

Learned Helplessness

Uncontrollablebad events

Perceivedlack of control

Generalizedhelpless behavior

Optimist

Feel and view the world as goodThey are/feel in controlToo much can blind you to risksPeople are the most overconfident

when they are most incompetent

Social-Cognitive Perspective

Positive Psychology the scientific study

of optimal human functioning

aims to discover and promote conditions that enable individuals and communities to thrive

Social-Cognitive Perspective

Assessing Behavior in Situations We predict behavior by assessing past

performance in similar situationsEvaluating the Social Cognitive

Perspective Show how situations affect and are

affected by individuality Critic: loses the individual by focusing

too much on the situation

Exploring the Self

Currently there is a self focus in studies

Possible self All the ways you view yourself in the

future (dreams and goals) Spotlight Effect

overestimating others noticing and evaluating our appearance, performance, and blunders (we think we are getting way more attention than we are)

Self Esteem

one’s feelings of high or low self-worth The benefits of self-esteem

Better is self-esteem is high Low self-esteem

Depression: falling short of your hopes Anxiety: falling short of where you aught to be

Self-esteem may be cyclical, but if you lower someone's they suffer

Culture and Self-Esteem

Positive/good self-esteem is important in all cultures

We tend to… value the things at which we excel Attribute problems to prejudice Compare ourselves to others like us

Exploring the Self

Individualism giving priority to one’s own goals over

group goals and defining one’s identity in terms of personal attributes rather than group identifications

Collectivism giving priority to the goals of one’s

group (often one’s extended family or work group) and defining one’s identity accordingly

Exploring the Self

Morality Defined by individuals Defined by social networks (self-based) (duty-based)

Attributing Behavior reflects one’s personality Behavior reflects socialbehaviors and attitudes and roles

Value Contrasts Between Individualism and CollectivismConcept Individualism Collectivism

Self Independent Interdependent (identity from individual traits) identity from belonging)

Life task Discover and express one’s Maintain connections, fit in uniqueness

What matters Me--personal achievement and We-group goals and solidarity; fulfillment; rights and liberties social responsibilities and

relationships

Coping method Change reality Accommodate to reality

Relationships Many, often temporary or casual; Few, close and enduring;confrontation acceptable harmony valued

Self-Serving Bias

Readiness to perceive oneself favorably

Everyone tends to View their selves as better than average Focus on their successes

Can be dangerous when/if illusions are threatened

To a point it’s beneficial

The Modern Unconscious Mind

We spend a lot of time on autopilot

We have a huge capacity for unconscious learning

Unconsciousness Involves…

Schemas that automatically control our perceptions and interpretations

Priming to stimuli that we have not paid attention to

Right-hemisphere activity (carry out activity with left hand, but don’t verbalize)

Implicit memoriesEmotions that activate instantlySelf-concepts and stereotypes that

influence us

The Modern Unconscious Mind

Terror-Management Theory Faith in one’s worldview and the

pursuit of self-esteem provide protection against a deeply rooted fear of death