Introductory psychologyLesson 1 of 3 in the course Personality

Learning, Social-Cognitive, and Situational Accounts of Personality

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

This lesson introduces the behavioral perspective, which explains personality through observable behavior and learning rather than hidden inner processes. It also examines how consequences and changing environments can shape behavior over time.

Psychodynamic approaches explain personality partly through inner processes that may be hidden from direct observation. In contrast, learning approaches focus on behavior that can be observed and measured. This gives learning approaches an important scientific advantage: researchers can test claims about behavior by observing what people do and the conditions surrounding it.

All flashcards

Reciprocal determinism
Bandura’s idea that cognition, behavior, and context influence one another.
Observational learning
Learning by watching another person’s behavior and the consequences they experience.
Self-efficacy
Confidence in one’s ability to perform a particular task or reach a goal.
Locus of control
Beliefs about whether outcomes depend on one’s actions or outside forces.
Situation processor
A person who interprets a situation before responding to it.

Quiz questions

  1. Which three factors mutually influence one another in Bandura’s concept of reciprocal determinism?Answer: Cognitive processes, behavior, and context.
  2. An observer sees a model rewarded for a behavior. According to Bandura, what may happen?Answer: The observer may become more likely to imitate the behavior.
  3. A student believes their own effort can substantially influence their academic outcomes. Which belief does this best illustrate?Answer: An internal locus of control.
  4. Which statement best reflects Mischel’s view of behavioral consistency?Answer: Behavior may be more consistent across similar situations than across very different ones.
  5. What is a cautious interpretation of research linking children’s delay of gratification with later outcomes?Answer: The association may be influenced by cognitive capacity and family or home conditions.

Based on Psychology 2e by Rose M. Spielman, William J. Jenkins, Marilyn D. Lovett (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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