11.4-11.6

• Behaviorist perspective on personality

  Behaviorists do not believe in biological determinism, they view personality as significantly shaped by the reinforcements and consequences outside of the organism. People behave in a consistent manner based on prior learning.
• B.F. Skinner's view


  Environment is solely responsible for all behavior, including the enduring, consistent behavior patterns studied by personality theorists. Personality develops over our entire life, not only in the first few years.
• Greta's personality change


  As a young woman she was a risk taker, but after getting married and having children, the system of reinforcements and punishments in her environment changed, so she no longer engages in those behaviors and now describes herself as cautious.
• Social-cognitive perspective on personality

  Emphasizes both learning and cognition as sources of individual differences in personality. Includes concepts of reciprocal determinism, observational learning, and self-efficacy.
• Reciprocal determinism


  Cognitive processes, behavior, and context all interact, each factor influencing and being influenced by the others simultaneously.
• Observational learning


  We learn new behavior patterns by observing others being reinforced or punished for their behaviors.
• Self-efficacy


  Our level of confidence in our own abilities, developed through our social experiences. Affects how we approach challenges and reach goals.
• Locus of control


  Our beliefs about the power we have over our lives
• Internal locus of control


  Tend to believe that most of our outcomes are the direct result of our efforts
• External locus of control

  Tend to believe that our outcomes are outside of our control, controlled by other people, luck, or chance
• Self-regulation


  The process of identifying a goal or set of goals and, in pursuing these goals, using both internal (e.g., thoughts and affect) and external (e.g., responses of anything or anyone in the environment) feedback to maximize goal attainment
• Humanistic approaches


  Reaction to the pessimistic determinism of psychoanalysis and the behaviorist view of humans as personality-less robots
• Self-actualization


  The achievement of our fullest potential
• Self-concept


  Our thoughts and feelings about ourselves
• Congruence


  When our thoughts about our real self and ideal self are very similar
• Incongruence


  When there is a great discrepancy between our ideal and actual selves
• Unconditional positive regard


  Unconditional love
• Heritability


  The proportion of difference among people that is attributed to genetics
• Temperament


  Biologically-based aspects of personality that appear early in life