OUTLINE – QUICK OVERVIEW

• PREAMBLE
• LAYMAN’S VIEW
• PSYCHOLOGICAL DEFINITION - SINGLE?
• THEORIES OF PERSONALITY – 4 MAIN THEORIES
• PSYCHOANALYTIC; HUMANISTIC, SOCIAL COGNITIVE, AND TRAIT THEORIES
• UNC. INTRA PSYCHIC - 3RD FORCE - BEHAVIORISTS VIEW.PT - BIOLOGICAL VIEW
• 3 FORCES @ WORK- SELF + GROWTH/ ESTEEM - 3 GENTLEMEN CONTRIBUTION - TRAIT/ CONTINUUM
• ID - PLEASURE - CARL ROGERS (UCPR) - RECIPROCAL DETERMINISM - ALLPORT, EYSENCK
• NEED CERTAIN NUTRIENTS (SOCIAL INPUTS) BEH, ENV, COG, INTERACT 2 DETERMINE
• GENUINE, EMPATHY, UCPR EACH OTHER
• EGO-REALITY/D. MECH. A.MASLOW (HIERARCHY) – CHANGE OR NO CHANGE - CATTELL – 16PF
• SUPEREGO – MORAL/PERFECT *S FULFILLMENT - BIG 5 DIMENSIONS
• OTHER . P STRUCTURE/ DYNAMICS/DEV *S. ACTUALIZATION *LOC* S EFFICACY ETC.* OCEAN
• ASSESSMENT * HARDINESS *OPENNESS
• INTERVIEW – STRUCTURED AND UNSTRUCTURED *CONSCIENTIOUSNESS
• OBSERVATION – VARIANTS *EXTRAVERSION
• PROJECTIVE TESTS - SUBJECTIVE * AGREEABLENESS
• OBJECTIVE TESTS - OBJECTIVE * NEUROTICISM
• RELATED ISSUES – VALIDITY, RELIABILITY ETC.
• PERSONALITY DISORDERS
• ANTISOCIAL * BORDERLINE
• HISTRIONIC * PARANOID
• SCHIZOID * SCHIZOTYPAL
• AVOIDANT * DEPENDENT
• OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE
SOCIAL LEARNING COGNITIVE
THEORY …(SLCT)
 SOCIAL LEARNING THEORISTS
• This theoretical perspective combines important Behavioural Principles
• pays little attention to biological determinants
• Focuses on environmental & cognitive determinants
• People are not inherently good or bad; but are readily modified by events & situations in the environment
• Only theoretical viewpoint that believes personality is variable

• Learning
• Classical – neutral stimuli predicts & elicits response by an UCS by pairing
• Operant – where a response is altered by the consequence (reinforcers/ punishers) of a Behaviour
• Social – imitation/ observation
• Vicarious observation that change our cognition

• Cognitive
• Interpretations/ expectations
• Schemas
• Mental structure used to organize knowledge and guide cognitive processing & Behaviour
• Used to categorize objects & events based on common elements with the objective of interpreting & predicting the world
• Scripts
• Is a schematic knowledge structure held in memory that specifies beh. / events sequences that are appropriate for specific situations
 FAMILIAR COGNITIONS
CLASSROOM STADIUM
 FAMILIAR COGNITIONS CONT’D
SWIMMING POOL / 9T CLUB
CHAPEL

CAUTION – nude pix next

 SOCIAL LEARNING THEORISTS
• Once Watson and Skinner had argued strongly that behavioral principles
could be used as a serious socializing agents
• Several proposals from various Behavioural theorists to try to explain
unique ways of thinking feeling & behaving

• How do they combine these behavioural principles to produce a unified

explanation for personality? …Focus on 3 + 1 reading.

• 3 gentlemen (Albert Bandura, Julian Rotter, and Walter Mitchel) picked it

up, introduced their concepts and started experimenting with the view to
come out with comprehensive personality theory… 4th theory Kelly’s
(cognitive)
 SOCIAL LEARNING COGNITIVE THEORY
ALBERT BANDURA WALTER MISCHEL JULIAN ROTTER GEORGE KELLY
SOCIAL LEARNING COGNITIVE THEORY
ALBERT BANDURA – SOCIAL/ COGNITIVE LEARNING

Bobo dull social learning

modelling experiment – TV
violence
 SOCIAL LEARNING THEORISTS
• How do they combine these behavioural principles to produce a
unified explanation for personality?

• According to Bandura (1977), the answer is MODELING & etc.)

other important concepts
• & self-efficacy.
• Eventually Reciprocal determinism … gained acceptance

• Research shows that modeling is a multi - process

• In Modeling; we observe, we learn, and we store in memory (learning), then
imitate at the right time.
 RECIPROCAL DETERMINISM
• Albert Bandura proposed this concept and used it to explain personality.
• Defined as the interaction of behavioral, cognitive and environmental factors to determine
each other
• He believed human personality is the direct consequence of the interaction of behavioral,
cognitive, and environmental factors.

• In his words “ your behaviour, internal personal factors, and environmental

influences all operate interactively as determinants of each other” (Bandura
1968; 23).

• In other words; if you want to explain a person’s relatively consistent behavior,

affect and cognition that makes him unique from everyone else, study the situation,
what he thinks of the situation and how he usually behave.
 RECIPROCAL DETERMINISM
• Bandura accepts the possibility of an individual's behavior being conditioned
through the use of consequences.
• At the same time he asserts that a person's behavior (and personal factors, such
as cognitive skills or attitudes) can impact the environment and vice versa.
• Examples
• How you view and treat people will influence how they in –turn treat you.

• If you expect someone to be angry with you, you may give the person a cold shoulder.
On the other hand, if you have an easygoing temperament you will likely enjoy close,
supportive friendship.

• The child doesn't like going to school, therefore, he/she acts out in class. Teachers and
administrators and peers in the school disliking having the child around. This forces the
administrators who dislike having him/her around to create a more restrictive
environment for children of this character.
• 2 more EXAMPLES
 MORE INFORMATION AND AN EXAMPLE
• G:\LECTURES SLIDES & VIDEOS\2022 HB 3 PERSONALITY TEACHING\RECIPROCAL DTERMI
NISM HYPERLINKS-20220419T183412Z-001\RECIPROCAL DTERMINISM HYPERLINKS\EXAMP
LES OF RECIPROCAL DETERMINISM.docx

• 2ND EXAMPLE
• G:\LECTURES SLIDES & VIDEOS\2022 HB 3 PERSONALITY TEACHING\RECIPROCAL DTERMINISM HYPERLINKS-20220419T183412Z-001\RECIPROCAL DTERMINISM HYPE
RLINKS\RECIPROCAL DETERMINISM.docx

• (Please download word documents from folder labelled Personality hyperlinks on the link to my drive
given on the outline for the 2 other examples of Reciprocal determinism)
• Also read for more examples.
 BANDURA’S CONCEPTS

• Another important person variable that Bandura talks about is self-efficacy

• BANDURA’S SELF-EFFICACY CONCEPT
• Refers to the degree to which you are subjectively convinced of your own
capabilities and effectiveness in meeting the demands of a particular
situation.
• We acquire a strong sense of self-efficacy by meeting challenges and
mastering new skills specific to a particular situation.
• This also contribute to individual differences/ uniqueness
SOCIAL LEARNING COGNITIVE THEORY
WALTER MISCHEL – COGNITIVE
PSYCHOLOGIST
 SCLT – WALTER MISCHEL’S CONTRIBUTION
• An individual’s behaviour/ personality is influenced by
• the specific attributes of a given situation &
• The manner in which he perceives the situation

• He introduced 5 variables namely;

• COMPETENCIES – our mental and physical abilities, social skills, and creative talents
• ENCODING STRATEGIES – how we process information about other people and
situations (intelligence, friendliness, power, or physical appearance); Some people are
paranoid – suspicious!
• EXPECTANCIES – our beliefs about the causes of success and failure and about
other possible consequences of our actions. There are two types here; whether we
can perform a particular behaviour, and whether it will be reinforced.
• SUBJECTIVE VALUES – kinds of outcomes we find reinforcing
• ( whether we strive for love, security, excitement, respect or dominance)
• SELF-REGULATORY SYSTEM – our ability to set goals, monitor and evaluate our
progress, delay our short term needs for gratification, and plan for the future.

• According to him these are the factors that really distinguishes one individual from
another
 JULIAN ROTTER

• Julian Rotter (1954) argued that what really matters is how we

perceive, interpret, and value the rewards in our lives. According to
Rotter, two things
• 1. OUR SUBJECTIVE EXPECTANCY that an act will be reinforced and
• 2.the VALUE of that reinforcement determine our behavior in every situation.
 ANOTHER IMPORTANT TERM - LOC
• According to Cognitive- Learning theory, behaviour is influenced not by
reinforcements alone but by our perception of CONTROL they termed LOCUS OF
CONTROL**.
• the expectancy that one’s reinforcements/outcomes is contingent on their own behaviour
or personal characteristics rather than being a function of external events not under their
control or simply unpredictable (Lefcourt, 1992; Rotter, 1990).
• LOC influences how people view the world and how they identify the causes of success
or failure in their lives.
• People (e.g., Patient’s perceptions and Behaviour) fall into two broad categories;
those who have
• INTERNAL LOC (in- charge of their own destiny), they believe they can influence the
outcome of situations via their skills and ability. They actively participate in their care
(seek information, n other treatment options)
• They are more likely to engage in proactive behaviour, such as preventive health
measures and dieting, than are people with

• EXTERNAL LOC (feel that they are at the mercy of luck, fate, and powerful others). They
think that the outcome of treatment may be primarily due to fate, chance, powerful forces
n people. Luck is the most important tactic in life
• (Theresa & Ethen; Passion) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OG9UqoGwIsM)
 SOME STATEMENTS
• INTERNALS • EXTERNALS
• Peoples misfortunes results from the • Many of the unhappy things in people’s
mistakes they make lives are partly due to bad luck

• With enough effort, we can wipe out • It is difficult to have much control over
political corruption the things politicians do

• Sometimes I can’t understand how

• There is a direct connection between
teachers arrive at the grade they give
how hard I study and the grade I get

• Sometimes I feel that I don’t have enough

• What happens to me is my own doing control over the direction my life is taking
• Consistent with LOC is the concept of hardiness (which
is a stress personality type) in which the individual feels
that he is in control of his life
• Hardened individuals. are more likely to evaluate
threatening events as challenges.
• They are likely to reduce their stress by solving
• Another person (Nicholas, 1993) found out
problems
• Hardiness?
• Sussan Kobassa (1979) introduced hardiness
• She defined as a stress resistant personality x’tics
which has three components
• COMMITMENT – an active involvement in
life activities
• CONTROL – a belief in the ability to
influence life events
• CHALLENGE – a belief that change
is normal and growth enhancing
• These factors are to be protective. She
found out that executives who
demonstrated these x’tics had low rates of
illness.
that elderly people who reported higher levels
of hardiness perceived themselves as fitter
than others.
• It was also discovered that people scoring
high on hardiness were more likely to
engage in good self care behaviors
(Preventive Health behaviors).
 PERSONALITY & VULNERABILITY TO ILLNESSES
• It has been suggested that x’tics of some people may make them more
vulnerable to developing CORONARY HEART DISEASES (CHD)
• Friedman & Rosenman (1974) described 2 types (A & B personality x’tics)
• TYPE A behaviour consists of features as
• Exaggerated sense of time urgency
• Excessive competitiveness, marked by a drive for achievement
• Hostility and Aggressiveness
• People who display these x’tics have been found to be at greater risk of
developing CHD, compared with people who show TYPE B behaviour
patterns.
• TYPE B – opposite
• Generally easy going and relaxed about life.
• Temoshok (1987) has found and described TYPE C as
• Passive, compliant and suppressing anger.
• This has been associated with CANCER PRONESS**
READ …4TH SLC THEORY – PERSONAL CONSTRUCT THEORY
• Another important cognitive psychologist George
Kelly suggested Personal Construct Theory.
• He suggested instead of rating people on dimensions
psychologist had created, people must be rated on
Personal Constructs – the dimensions they use to rate
themselves and the social world around them (1955).

• He compared the individual to scientists who observe the

world, formulate and test assumptions about it and
formulate theories about their observations.

• They also label, categorize and judge themselves and

their world and can misinterpret the world
 READ …4TH SLC THEORY – PERSONAL CONSTRUCT AND
SCHEMAS
• Any wrong cognition, e.g., by entertaining wrong beliefs/ theory, it can hinder
them and lead to biased interpretations of themselves and their world.
• Like scientist people try to predict events & what will happen to them
• Each individual uses a set of personal constructs in interpreting & predicting events
• Those unique constructs tend to take an “either-or form” e.g.
• A new acquaintance is either
• Friendly or unfriendly
• Intelligent or unintelligent
• Fun or boring
• Sexy or not …etc.
• Kelly postulated that individual differences and behaviour occur as a results of different sets
of cognitive constructs individuals use in evaluating themselves and their world.
• 2 people may evaluate same individual differently
• 2 sets of evaluation of same person/ event may lead to different overt reactions & diff personality
 READ 4TH SLC THEORY – PERSONAL CONSTRUCT AND
SCHEMAS
• Schemas, are cognitive units that help humans to perceive, organize, process and
utilize information. We have schemas for mothers, fathers, classrooms, good
friend, spouses, swimming pool, church and virtually everything.
• It helps us to identify what important stimuli in the environment can help us process
information. Individual difference comes as a result of different schemas & scripts
• Scripts – expected behaviors
• Kelly devised his own test called Role Construct repertory Test or ‘Rep Test’ to
assess people’s personality since existing tests did not meet his basis criteria.
• Reading …Hoeksema, et al (2009): Atkinson & Hilgards INTRODUCTION TO
PSYCHOLOGY, 15th ed, united kingdom, Wadsworth Cengage Learning, pages 481- 482 for
the ‘Rep test’ and Cognitive Self Schemas.
• He devised & used his own test referred to as the ROLE CONSTRUCT REPERTORY TEST ;
“Rep Test” …pls read p.481
 EVALUATION OF SOCIAL COGNITIVE
• Their strength is its grounding in
empirical laboratory research. • Critics argue by ignoring
unconscious influences, emotions
or conflicts they have a very
• This perspective is built on limited focus/area in personality.
research in learning, cognitive and
social Psychology, rather than on
clinical impressions. • Notwithstanding the above, this
theory helps us, by placing most of
• Critics however are of the the responsibility for our behaviour
observation that clinical data • “How do you take this, I (55 year old
(Naturalistic) is more generalizable/ man) raped this 12 year old girl
applicable since everyday situation because the devil made me do it”.
is far more complex than isolating
and manipulating a single factor in
lab) than findings from (Strict,
carefully controlled laboratory
research)