Ch 3 Flashcards
Interactional psychology
the psychological approach to understanding human behavior that involves knowing something about the person and about the situation
Individual differences
the way in which factors such as skills, abilities, personalities, perceptions, attitudes, values, and ethics differ from one individual to another
Personality
a relatively stable set of characteristics that influence an individual’s behavior
Trait theory
a personality theory that advocates breaking down behavior patterns into a series of observable traits in order to understand human behavior
Integrative approach
the broad theory that describes personality as a composite of an individual’s psychological processes
Strong situation
situation that overwhelms the effects of individual personalities by providing strong cues for appropriate behavior
Locus of control
an individual’s generalized belief about internal control (self-control) versus external control (control by the situation or others)
General self-efficacy
an individual’s general belief that he or she is capable of meeting job demands in a wide variety of situations
Self-esteem
an individual’s general feeling of self-worth
Self-monitoring
the extent to which people base their behavior on cues from other people and situations
Positive affect
an individual’s tendency to accentuate the positive aspects of herself or himself, other people, and the world in general
Negative affect
an individual’s tendency to accentuate the negative aspects of himself or herself, other people and the world in general
Projective test
a personality test that elicits an individual’s response to abstract stimuli
Behavioral measures
personality assessments that involve observing an individual’s behavior in a controlled situation
Self-report questionnaire
a common personality assessment that involves an individual’s responses to a serries of questions
