Lecture 11: Cognitive Perspectives Flashcards
1
Q
define cognitive perspectives
A
- how people see things in different ways
- guiding principle: people differ in how they perceive and interpret their social environment
- understand the psych filters that people use to see and understand their worlds
2
Q
what is the difference between field dependence and field independence
A
- when talking about one’s perception
- field dependence: you see the forest and not the trees (focus on big picture not the details) (people oriented, social cues, seeks context)
- field independence: you see the trees and not the forest (focus on the details not the big picture) (non social preferences, ignore distractions, seeks details)
3
Q
What is personal construct theory
A
- assumes that people think about the world like amateur scientists
- they hold their own theories about how the world works and rules for it
- each person holds unique filters (theories) for interpreting events
- we adjust the filter to fit the situation when something contradicts our theory
- ## we adjust the filter to git the situation when something contradicts our theory
4
Q
what is locus of control and the difference between the two different ones
A
- general tendency to explain events in your life and the control of these events
- internal locus of control: i control what happens in my life (follow doctors more, better credit etc)
- external locus of control: things that happen are in the hands of others/god/chance
5
Q
learned helplessness (what is it and what are the three questions)
A
- if nothing ever goes your way you come to believe that you are helpless
- if i put effort in i get good things vs why bother trying everything sucks anyways
- is it:
- stable vs unstable (its temporary or its never going to change)
- internal or external (it is about me or just something unrelated
- global vs specific (a part of every aspect of my life or just one thing)
- the bad outcome of negatives events are: stable, internal, global (leads one to feel helpless)
- over time this can develop a pessimistic explanatory style
6
Q
optimism vs pessimism
A
- explaining people’s expectations for the future
- optimism: generalized belief/confidence that things will generally urn out for the best (persevere, opportunity for growth, effective coping)
- optimism does not equal control
- it is better to be an optimist than pessimist
7
Q
defensive pessimism
A
- anxiety motivates test performance
- optimists and defensive pessimists differ in how they interpret and respond t challenges
8
Q
realist
A
- hopes for the best prepare for the worst
- imagine both desired and undesired outcomes
- makes you more anxious but better prepared that optimists
9
Q
mastery orientation - implicit theories of intelligence
A
- intelligence is something that is fixed and immutable (an entity) or something that is fluid and something that can be cultivated (incremental)
- influences how we respond to feedback:
- entity theorists: failure means one is stupid and become defensive (focus is on performance and avoid challenges
- incremental theorists: failure means one should work harder and seek mastery (focus is on learning, prefer challenging tasks)
10
Q
mastery orientation - implicit theories of personality
A
- entity theorists: believe that traits are fixed (once an individual is labeled, new counter info is rejected)
- incremental theorists: believe that people can change (behaviour is seen as due to situations, goals and motivations
11
Q
mastery orientation - implicit theories of prejudice
A
- most people don’t want to see themselves as prejudiced
- if you think attitudes are fixed and people don’t change, you avoid situations that might expose or test your attitudes and reject activities aimed at reducing prejudice
12
Q
self objectification theory
A
- cultures influence how you see yourself
- in north America women are objects
- self esteem contingent on living up to cultural ideal
- inability to live up to the ideal = shame
