Chapter 8 - Social Cognitive Theories + Personality Assessment

Question 1

What are the two factors that govern behavior in social cognitive theories?

Answer 1

Expectancy and reinforcement.

Question 2

What is the locus of control?

Answer 2

Expectancy concerning personal control in our lives.

Question 3

Who developed the concept of human agency in social cognitive theories?

Answer 3

Albert Bandura.

Question 4

What influences self-efficacy in social cognitive theories?

Answer 4

Performance experiences, observational learning, verbal persuasion, and emotional arousal.

Question 5

What are the advantages of social cognitive theories in explaining behavior?

Answer 5

It puts insights from other perspectives into cognitive-behavioral concepts and explains inconsistencies of behavior.

Question 6

What are the different methods used for personality assessment?

Answer 6

Personality scales and self-ratings, responses on projective tests, physiological measures, behavioral assessment, reports and ratings by other people, and interview data.

Question 7

What are the drawbacks of interviews in personality assessment?

Answer 7

Characteristics of the interviewer and cooperation and honesty of the participant.

Question 8

What is the remote behavior sampling technique used in behavioral assessment?

Answer 8

Assessors collect samples of behavior from participants’ daily lives using pagers or cell phones.

Question 9

What are the two main projective tests used in psychodynamic theory?

Answer 9

Rorschach inkblots and Thematic Apperception test.

Question 10

Which theory in personality assessment uses physiological measurements?

Answer 10

Biological theory.

Question 11

Expectancy

Answer 11

Likelihood of consequences given behavior

Question 12

Reinforcement

Answer 12

How much we desire of dread consequences

Question 13

What are the five components of human agency in social cognitive theories?

Answer 13

Intentionality, forethought, self-reactiveness, self-reflectiveness, and self-regulation.

Question 14

What is self-efficacy in social cognitive theories?

Answer 14

Self-efficacy refers to a person’s belief concerning their ability to perform behaviors needed to achieve outcomes.

Question 15

What is the difference between internal and external locus of control?

Answer 15

Internal locus of control refers to events under personal control, while external locus of control refers to events attributed to luck, chance, or powerful others.

Question 16

What are the advantages of using standardized questions in personality assessment?

Answer 16

Standardized questions ensure consistency in measurement and make it easier to compare results across individuals or groups.

Question 17

What is the aim of projective tests in personality assessment?

Answer 17

The aim of projective tests is to elicit unconscious thoughts and feelings of the participant through ambiguous stimuli, such as inkblots or pictures.

Question 18

What is the purpose of behavioral assessment in social cognitive theories?

Answer 18

Behavioral assessment is used to collect information about specific behaviors, situations, and conditions that influence behavior.

Question 19

What is the main difference between trait theory and social cognitive theory in personality assessment?

Answer 19

Trait theory focuses on identifying and measuring personality traits, while social cognitive theory emphasizes the role of cognitive processes and social learning in personality development.

Question 20

What are the limitations of self-report measures in personality assessment?

Answer 20

Self-report measures may be affected by social desirability bias and may not accurately reflect the true personality of the participant.

Question 21

What is the goal of physiological measures in personality assessment?

Answer 21

The goal of physiological measures is to measure bodily functions and responses to certain stimuli as a way to infer personality traits or characteristics.

Question 22

What are the advantages of using behavioral assessments over other methods in personality assessment?

Answer 22

Behavioral assessments provide objective and specific information about behavior in real-life situations, which may be more reliable than self-report measures or projective tests.