Chapter 15

Question 1

Kurt Lewin’s Field theory of behavior

Answer 1

Explains human behavior in terms of the dynamic interactions between an individual and their environment

B=f(P,E)

Question 2

what is the concept of life space

Answer 2

all the psychological forces acting on a person at a given time. These forces come from both the individual and the environment and shape how they act.

Using the classroom scenario:

The life space includes your psychological field (your nervousness, the audience) and:
Past experiences with public speaking (e.g., if you’ve been successful or embarrassed before).
Future goals (e.g., wanting a good grade or professional growth from this presentation).

Question 3

what is the psychological field

Answer 3

the total sum of all forces and influences that can impact a person’s behavior.

Example: If you’re in a classroom preparing for a presentation, your psychological field might include:

Your nervousness (internal factor).
The audience (external factor).
Your perception of the situation (e.g., whether the audience is supportive or judgmental).

Question 4

Who proposed that people are like scientists, constantly forming, testing, and revising mental models (constructs) to make sense of their experiences?

Answer 4

George Kelly

Question 5

What are personal constructs? (from george kelly’s personal contruct theory)

Answer 5

bipolar dimensions or mental filters through which individuals interpret their experiences. They help people categorize and evaluate events, objects, or people.

Outgoing-shy
Kind-mean
Trustworthy-untrustworthy

Question 6

What are corollaries in George Kelly’s Personal Construct Theory

Answer 6

principles or rules that describe how constructs work and interact

Question 7

what is a central idea of Kelly’s theory that says a person’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are shaped by their personal constructs, which are used to predict and prepare for future experiences.

Answer 7

The fundamental postulate

Question 8

Individuality Corollary

Answer 8

Each person has their own unique set of personal constructs, which are shaped by their experiences, interpretations, and perspectives. This explains why individuals perceive the same event or situation differently.

Ex: Two people attend the same concert. One might use the construct “exciting-boring” and see the event as exciting, while another might apply “overwhelming-relaxing” and find it overwhelming. Their personal constructs shape their different interpretations.

Question 9

Organization corollary

Answer 9

Constructs are organized hierarchically, creating a stable and efficient system.

Question 10

In George Kelly’s Personal Construct Theory, when do psychological problems arise ?

Answer 10

when a person’s construct system—their unique set of mental frameworks for interpreting the world—becomes inadequate or defective

Question 11

What Are Inadequate Personal Constructs?

Answer 11

Inadequate constructs are those that fail to effectively help an individual anticipate or interpret events in their environment. These constructs may be too rigid, narrow, contradictory, or insufficiently developed to cope with new or complex experiences.

Question 12

What are the five key cognitive-affective units in Mischel’s framework?

Answer 12

1. Encodings (Perceptions of Events): How individuals perceive, categorize, and interpret information or situations
2. Expectancies and Beliefs: Expectations about what will happen in a given situation and beliefs about one’s ability to influence outcomes
3. Goals and Values: Personal objectives, priorities, and values that guide behavior and decision-making
4. Affects (Emotional Responses): Emotional reactions to situations, which influence thought processes and actions
5. Competencies and Self-Regulatory Strategies: Skills, abilities, and self-control mechanisms that individuals use to manage their behavior.

Question 13

how to determine how someone is going to behave according to cognitive affective system theory?

Answer 13

By understanding a person’s CAUs and their interaction with specific situations, we can predict how they are likely to behave.

Question 14

what is the self-reference effect?

Answer 14

easy remembering of self-referent words as they are processed through self-schemas

Question 15

current self vs idealized self

Answer 15

how you view yourself now vs ideally how you would want to be

Question 16

possible selves

Answer 16

cognitive representations of the kind of person we might become someday, including desired selves and feared selves - can influence behavior

Question 17

how can cognitive psychotherapy (like CBT) help?

Answer 17

• Therapy may involve reconstructing personal constructs to better align with reality and improve emotional well-being (ex. changing ““I must be perfect to be loved” for “I am worthy of love, even with imperfections.”)

Question 18

how can rational emotive therapy help?

Answer 18

by trying to make people talk more rationally. RET addresses irrational and absolutist beliefs (like “I must succeed”) by helping clients replace them with rational and flexible alternatives (e.g., “It’s okay to fail sometimes; I can learn from it”).

Question 19

The ABC process is a core framework in Rational Emotive Therapy (RET). It breaks down the process of emotional distress into three components:

Answer 19

A - Activating event: This is the trigger or situation that initiates the process. It can be an external event (e.g., being criticized) or an internal thought (e.g., recalling a past failure).
B - Belief system: This represents the interpretation or belief about the activating event. “I didn’t get the job this time, but I can try again and improve my chances.” vs “If I didn’t get the job, it means I’m a total failure and will never succeed.”
C - Emotional consequence: The emotional and behavioral outcomes that result from the belief. (Devastation, hopelessness, self-blame, motivation to improve)