Learning Approaches to Personality

Learning Objectives

• Describe behaviorist, cognitive, and social cognitive perspectives on personality.

Introduction

• Learning approaches focus on observable behavior, unlike psychodynamic approaches which focus on hidden processes.
• Advantage: Observable phenomena can be scientifically tested.

The Behavioral Perspective

• Behaviorists' View:
  • Reject biological determinism.
  • Personality shaped by reinforcements and consequences.
  • B.F. Skinner: Environment solely responsible for behavior.
  • Personality develops over a lifetime, not fixed in childhood.
• Example:
  • Greta changes from a risk-taker to cautious due to environmental changes (marriage, children).

The Social-Cognitive Perspective

• Albert Bandura:
  • Agrees with learning but emphasizes cognition.
  • Personality as a result of learning and cognition.
  • Key Concepts: Reciprocal determinism, observational learning, self-efficacy.

Reciprocal Determinism

• Concept by Bandura:
  • Cognitive processes, behavior, and context interact.
  • Example: Decision to bungee jump involves cognitive factors, behavior, and context.

Observational Learning

• Bandura's Contribution:
  • Learning through observation, vicarious learning.
  • Imitation based on model reinforcement or punishment.
  • Influenced by reciprocal determinism.

Self-Efficacy

• Definition by Bandura:
  • Level of confidence in one's abilities.
  • High self-efficacy: Positivity, resilience, and commitment.
  • Low self-efficacy: Avoidance of challenges and focus on failures.
  • Situational specificity (e.g., confidence in English but not in math).

Julian Rotter and Locus of Control

• Locus of Control:
  • Belief in control over life outcomes.
  • Internal locus: Outcomes from personal efforts.
  • External locus: Outcomes outside personal control.
• Effects:
  • Internals: Better academic performance, health, and independence.
  • Externals: Less academic success, higher depression.

Walter Mischel and the Person-Situation Debate

• Mischel's Findings:
  • Inconsistency of behavior across situations but consistent within similar situations.
  • Introduced self-regulation and delay of gratification.
• Marshmallow Test:
  • Assessed self-control in children.
  • Children with higher self-control in preschool showed better outcomes in adolescence and adulthood.
  • Findings highlight the role of situational factors and cognitive capacity.
• Resolution:
  • Consideration of both personal and situational factors in behavior.
  • People are situation processors, interpreting and responding according to their perceptions.