24-10-2017

Learning and Behavioral Theories Social Learning Theory

According to Bandura, personality is shaped by an
Behaviors that make up our personality are interaction among cognitive factors, behaviors and
conditioned or learned environmental factors. This interaction is termed
Current conditions help maintain this behavior reciprocal determinism.
Main focus is on testing their theories hence
focus on observable behaviors
Dollard and Miller gave the basic idea that social
behavior and individual behavior can be
explained by means of basic learning principles
Neurosis explained as an outcome of conflict on
being attracted and repelled by a course of
action.

Humanistic Personality Theories Carl Rogers

Humanistic view asserts the fundamental
goodness of people and their constant striving
toward higher levels of functioning
Does not dwell on past occurrences, but rather
focuses on the present and future
We make conscious decisions about the
direction of our lives
We look forward, not controlled by a past history
of reinforcement/punishment or repressed
trauma
All organisms have an actualizing tendency
Humans also have a self-actualizing tendency
Unconditional positive regard
Acceptance of another regardless of persons
behavior
Conditional positive regard
Acceptance is dependent upon certain ways of
behaving
Children accepted by parents when good &
rejected when bad

4
 24-10-2017

Fully-functioning Person

We develop the view: I ought to be good, I Openness to experience

have to be good Existential living
We lose touch with our true nature (real self &
actualising tendency) Organismic trusting
Experiential freedom
Creativity

Evaluation of Rogers Theory of

Personality
For the idea that people are inherently good
For placing importance on conscious mental
experience
For the idea that the self-concept is the heart of
personality
Limitations
For taking peoples self-report statements at face
value
For being too optimistic about human nature and
ignoring human capacity for evil
Trait Theory
A trait is any characteristic in which one person
differs from another in a relatively permanent
and consistent way.
A persons personality is described in terms of a
particular combination of traits
Trait theorists concerned with the construction of
personality tests that enable them to pinpoint
individual differences

Continue Personality Traits: Big 5 OCEAN model

Openness to Conscientious Extraversion Agreeable Neuroticism

Much more measurable than psycho-analytic experience -ness (Emotional
theory Stability)
Fantasy Competence Warmth Trust Anxiety
Ideas Order Gregarious Straightforw Anger
Aesthetics Dutifulness Assertive ardness Depression
Feelings Achievement Activity Altruism Self-
Actions Discipline Excitement Compliance conscious
Values deliberation seeking Modesty Vulnerability
Positive Tender- impulsive
emotion minded

5
 24-10-2017

Continue.. Continue..

Self-monitoring the ease with which people
adapt to different situations and so manage the
impressions they make on others
High self monitors are more influenced by
EXTERNAL information.
Acquisition self-presentation: self-monitoring in
situation where there is a chance for social gain, or if
social risk is high
Protective self-presentation: self-monitoring out of
fear of socially adverse effects
Self-esteem how one feels about him/herself, the level
of regard for oneself
High self-esteem feeling good about oneself and expecting
more
Dogmatism the tendency of being closed-minded,
seeing life in terms of black and white
Less receptive to new or unfamiliar stimuli
Self-consciousness the tendency of being
keenly aware of oneself in many situations
Being sensitive to the image people communicate to
others

Continue.. Continue..

Rigidity being less flexible than others in tastes Optimum stimulation level (OSL) refers to the
and preferences greater desire that some people have to explore
Rigidity correlates negatively with risk-taking behavior
the environment and to seek stimulation from
others
Sensation seeking: need for varied, novel, and
Tolerance of ambiguity complex sensations and experience
Willingness to deal with ambiguous (unclear best Variety-Novelty seeking
choice) Exploratory behavior
Tolerant people display exploratory behavior Vicarious exploration
Use innovativeness

Continue.. Self Concept

Extroversion refers to the extent to which
Self-concept is the overall image that a person
people seek stimulation from the environment holds of him or herself
extroversion-introversion
Self-concept emerges out of our impressions
Neuroticism the tendency to experience about ourselves as well as from others
impressions of us
negative affect
Need for cognition the tendency to think more Variety of Self-Concepts
thoroughly than others - Actual self-image
- Ideal self-image
- Social self-image
- Ideal social self-image
- Expected self-image

6
 24-10-2017

Forms of Self-Image Continue..

Actual self-image (or private self): it involves
those images that one has of oneself about
which one feels protective how people see
themselves
The self-consistency motive: doing things that are
consistent with ones own self-image
Ideal self-image: how one would like to be
Social self-image: how we believe other people
see us
The social consistency motive is present
Ideal social self-image: how one would like
others to see them
The social approval motive is working here: doing
things that would cause others to think highly of them

Biological Perspectives Continue

Personality and the Brain Role of Neurotransmitters

brain damage alters personality growth of dopamine receptors stimulated by
brain responses correlate with personality warm care-givers
disposes person to reward-sensitivity
Eysenks Reticular Activation System Theory (extraversion)
extraverts and introverts have different base-line less serotonin in circulation leads to negative
levels of arousal mood (neuroticism)

Biological Perspectives Measurement of Personality

Behavioral Genetics
twin studies reveal substantial genetic influence on Rating methods
Big Five traits
most traits influenced by multiple genes
Situational tests
Evaluating the Biological Perspective Projective techniques: TAT
ties personality to animal learning, brain imaging, and
evolutionary theory Inventory schemes: MMPI
criticisms (e.g., biology may be the affect, not the
cause, of personality)
There is a strong inherited basis for personality, but
the environment cannot be discounted

7
 24-10-2017

Personality Assessment

Psychologists use interviews to evaluate Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory

personality:
Unstructured interviews allow greater free exploration
of personality
Structured interviews use specific questions to
objectively evaluate responses and compare to others
Psychologists directly and methodically observe
behavior
567 items
controls for social desirability
assesses mental health and used to make hiring
decisions and to determine criminal risk
Neuroticism Extraversion Opennes Personality
Inventory-Revised
assesses the big five factors and 6 sub-
dimensions

Clinical Scales MMPI Validity Scale

Scale 1: Hypochondriasis (Hs)
3 scales (?, L & F) were originally intended with
Scale 2: Depression (D)
K added shortly thereafter
Scale 3: Hysteria (Hy)
? (Cannot Say): Number of omitted and double
Scale 4: Psychopathic Deviate (Pd) marked items
Scale 5: Masculinity-Femininity (Mf) L (Lie): Unsophisticated attempts to present
Scale 6: Paranoia (Pa) oneself in an overly favorable light
Scale 7: Psychasthenia (Pt) F (Infrequency): Designed to detect deviant test
Scale 8: Schizophrenia (Sc) taking behaviors (<10% of normals)
Scale 9: Hypomania (Ma) K (Defensiveness)
Scale 0: Social Introversion (Si)

Measurement of Personality Projective techniques

Myers Briggs Type Indicator

four dimensions used to make personnel
decisions:
extraversion-introversion
sensing-intuiting
thinking-feeling
judgment-perception
not empirically supported
Barnum effect

8
 24-10-2017

Other Assessment

Peer ratings

Psychophysiological measures (e.g., polygraph)

Brain imaging