Study "Personality psych", a flashcard deck on FORKSAI.
Define Reciprocal Determinism as proposed by Bandura within the social cognitive approach.
Reciprocal Determinism is a social cognitive principle stating that a person's behavior, their personal factors (like thoughts and beliefs), and the environment all continuously influence one another. This interaction forms a pattern of two-way causal links, meaning each component can affect and be affected by the others.
Explain Julian Rotter's concept of 'expectancy' and 'reinforcement value' and how they influence behavior.
For Rotter, the likelihood of engaging in a behavior is determined by expectancy and reinforcement value. Expectancy refers to our perception of how likely certain consequences are if we perform a behavior in a given situation. Reinforcement value is how much we desire or dread the outcome that we expect the behavior to produce, with higher value increasing the likelihood of the behavior.
Distinguish between an 'internal' and 'external' locus of control according to Julian Rotter.
An internal locus of control describes individuals who believe life outcomes are largely under their personal control and depend on their own behavior and efforts. Conversely, an external locus of control characterizes people who believe their fate is primarily influenced by external factors like luck, chance, or powerful others, rather than their own actions.
How does Martin Seligman's concept of 'learned helplessness' manifest in human beings, based on his early work with dogs?
Learned helplessness in human beings is a phenomenon where individuals, after experiencing repeated uncontrollable negative events, may stop trying to escape or improve their situation even when opportunities arise. This mirrors Seligman's dog experiments where animals that couldn't avoid shocks eventually became passive even when escape became possible.
Describe the three dimensions of attributional style proposed by Martin Seligman and identify which combination is associated with a depressive style.
Seligman's attributional style has three dimensions: Internal vs. External, Stable vs. Unstable, and Global vs. Specific. An internal attribution places blame on oneself, stable suggests the cause is consistent over time, and global implies the cause affects many areas of life. A depressive style is exhibited by those who explain bad events using internal, stable, and global causes.
Define 'self-efficacy' as conceptualized by Albert Bandura and briefly list its four determinants.
Self-efficacy is a person's belief concerning their ability to perform the behaviors needed to overcome obstacles and achieve desired outcomes. The four determinants of self-efficacy are performance attainments, observational learning, verbal persuasion, and emotional arousal.
Explain the core idea of the Trait Approach to personality and how traits are typically identified.
The Trait Approach posits that personality is composed of stable, enduring characteristics called traits that predispose individuals to act in certain ways. These traits are typically identified and categorized using statistical techniques like factor analysis, which groups together related behaviors or responses.
Distinguish between the Id, Ego, and Superego in Sigmund Freud's psychodynamic structure of personality.
The Id operates on the pleasure principle, representing instinctual desires and seeking immediate gratification. The Ego operates on the reality principle, mediating between the Id's demands and the external world, making rational decisions. The Superego incorporates moral standards and ideals, acting as an internal judge or conscience.
What is the primary focus of the Humanistic Approach to personality, and what two key psychologists are associated with it?
The Humanistic Approach to personality primarily focuses on personal growth, free will, and self-development, emphasizing the inherent goodness and potential for self-actualization in individuals. The two key psychologists associated with this approach are Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers.
Compare and contrast self-report inventories and projective tests as types of personality assessments, highlighting one advantage and one disadvantage for each.
Self-report inventories involve individuals answering direct questions about themselves, with an advantage being their objectivity and reliability in scoring, but a disadvantage being the potential for social desirability bias or lying. Projective tests involve interpreting ambiguous stimuli, with an advantage of potentially revealing unconscious thoughts, but a disadvantage of low reliability and subjective scoring.