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