Rotter

Question 1

behavior potential

Answer 1

The probability that a particular behavior will occur, as a result of that person’s uniqueness and the perceived value of the reinforcer in a given situation.

Question 2

emetophobics

Answer 2

Intensely anxious individuals with very strong internal control orientations who fear vomiting because they would lose control.

Question 3

expectancy

Answer 3

A cognition or belief—held with a higher or lower degree of certainty—about the property of some object or event.

Question 4

field theory

Answer 4

The idea that behavior is determined by a complex interplay between cognitive and environmental variables.

Question 5

freedom of movement

Answer 5

The individual’s expectancy that his or her behaviors will generally lead to success (high freedom of movement) or failure (low freedom of movement) in a given life area.

Question 6

God-mediated control

Answer 6

An indirect form of internal control in which individuals work collaboratively with God to achieve their personal goals.

Question 7

I-E scale

Answer 7

Test designed by Rotter to measure the individual’s belief that forces are or are not beyond his or her control. Internals (Is) are people who believe that events are under their own control; externals (Es) are people who believe that outcomes are controlled by outside forces such as luck, fate, God, or powerful others.

Question 8

internal/external control of reinforcement

Answer 8

The individual’s belief that his or her behavior is self-determined (internal control) or determined by outside factors (external control).

Question 9

locus of control of reinforcement

Answer 9

Term that refers to people’s beliefs about the location (internal/external) of controlling forces in their lives.

Question 10

minimal goal

Answer 10

the lowest bar for satisfactory outcomes and unsatisfactory ones. Such as a B is ok for some while its not ok for me.

Question 11

psychological situation

Answer 11

The meaning of the situation as it is defined by the person.

Question 12

reinforcement value

Answer 12

The importance of a given reinforcer to an individual in relation to other reinforcers if the probabilities of attaining all of them are equal.

Question 13

stimulus generalization

Answer 13

The process in which responses made in the presence of an original stimulus come to be made in the presence of other, similar stimuli.

Example: people who resemble figures we wish praise from such as our parents, we will generalize the need to receive approval from them and work for it. Such as Ben being a need for approval from a stable father figure.

Question 14

Some Biographical information about Rotter

Answer 14

Influenced by Alfred Adler and Kurt Lewin.

Adler’s focus on goal-directedness of behavior and unity of personality

Lewin’s field-theory approach which emphasized the interrelatedness of behavior, multiple factors are involved in behavior and that behavior must be analyzed by thinking from the other person’s perspective.

-he blended the reinforcement approach and cognitive or field theory

Question 15

Some core aspects of Julian Rotter’s Principles?

Answer 15

1.personality is learned through our interactions with other people

2. a person’s past is key to understanding their behavior
3. Emphasized unity or interdependence of personality which is past events influence current experiences and current experiences change the things learned in the past
4. behaviors are functionally related
5. reinforcements can also be functionally related. Such as getting a degree could have financial benefits as well as social respect.

Question 16

Rotter’s ideas on Motivation

Answer 16

1. Behavior is goal-oriented, Emphasizing the law of effect.
2. If reinforcers can be identified then behavior can be predicted.
3. Needs, goals and reinforcements are used interchangeably

Question 17

Rotter’s four core social learning concepts

Answer 17

1. behavior potential,
2. expectancy,
3. reinforcement value
4. the psychological situation

Question 18

Core aspect of Rotter’s Behavior potential

Answer 18

1. Behavior potential Is the potential of a behavior occurring in a situation calculated in relation to reinforcements
2. Emphasized cognitive factors and subjective interpretation of events.
3. utilized implicit and explicit behaviors for predictions

Question 19

Core aspects of Rotter’s Expectancy

Answer 19

1. defined as cognition or belief about some object or event
2. rated by magnitude from 0-100%.
3. expectancy is based on the knowledge of past experience. A person may want an A on an exam but if they have a history of not studying or cramming then they will not likely get an A
4. generalized Expectancies operate across a variety of situations

Question 20

What are the three types of expectancy in Rotter’s social learning theory

Answer 20

1. Simple cognitions
2. behavior-reinforcement outcomes.
3. reinforcement sequences.

Question 21

Rotter’s core aspect of Psychological Situation

Answer 21

the Psychological Situation is the situation defined from the person’s perspective

Rotter emphasized that both personality disposition and social cues are important for predicting behavior. Such as a person’s past history of aggression which would indicate aggressive tendencies may not surface in a situation where they are likely to be punished by others

Question 22

Rotter’s Core Aspects of Personality Development

Answer 22

1. Rotter believed personality developed in relation to other people. The earliest being parents. but eventually goes to peers and teachers
2. Words serve as cues for directing behaviors and words can also serve as verbal reinforcers and punishments such as “I love you” or “You disappoint me”.

Question 23

What Test is Rotter most known for?

Answer 23

the I-E scale (internal vs external locus of control)

Question 24

Does the I-E type of the parent typically pass on to the child

Answer 24

yes

Question 25

How does I-E change over time?

Answer 25

People tend to be more internally motivated as they get older however when decrepidness comes from aging this can change to external locus of control but it is not consistent. Many elderly people are still internally motivated

Question 26

The Role of Education in I-E

Answer 26

Uneducated Elderly have more external orientation and Educated elderly have more internal orientation as internal are flexible and change goals to suit their physical condition while uneducated elderly do not and feel resentment

Question 27

The role of religion in I-E

Answer 27

Those who believed in religion had more internally motivated sense of control surprisingly. They believe God doesn’t solve problems for them but instead God gives them strength to do tasks.

Question 28

I-E and attribution to responsibility

Answer 28

-Internals feel more shame at defeat than externals who tend to make excuses

-Externals subconsciously prep excuses before and after a task to compensate for their failures.

-Internals tend to not only take responsibility for their actions but the actions of others

Question 29

I-e and academic performance

Answer 29

-internals tend to perform better than externals in academics. Internals find ways to cope and are more persistent vs blaming others as externals do.

-Surprisingly Black students with negative cultural identity and internal motivation performed more poorly than those with a positive cultural identity. It’s possible they are less likely to fall prey to cultural stereotypes.

Question 30

I-e and career development and status

Answer 30

-internals seek opportunities while externals show less motivation in pursuing careers

-achieving success in the workplace and fostering autonomy is higher in internals

Question 31

I-E and physical health

Answer 31

-Internals are more likely to take care of themselves and engage in risky behaviors such as smoking or unprotected sex

Question 32

I-E and Psychological Health

Answer 32

-Internals as a whole are typically healthier than externals

-Externals are more likely to be drug addicts and repeat criminal offenders as they believe its simply bad luck that caused them to be like this

-Externals are more likely to feel powerless and get high credit card debt

-internals are better able to cope with stress from school, work and life

Question 33

negative Qualities of Internals?

Answer 33

-Internals are more likely to be compulsive

-emetophobics (individuals with fears of vomiting) have exaggerated internal control and sometimes leave work early or avoid situations for fear of their vomiting and even avoid getting pregnant because of morning sickness

-internals blame themselves even when it isn’t their fault

-internals with a history of drinking show aggression to their partners during a disagreement

Question 34

Positive Qualities of Externals?

Answer 34

-Less likely to blame themselves when its not their fault

-Also in situations out of their control such as going in for surgery, they show less anxiety

Question 35

Rotter’s social learning theory’s implication for therapy?

Answer 35

1. saw dysfunction as a result of relationships
2. accepts the defense mechanisms of Freud but reconceptualized them as avoidance or escape behaviors. These defenses can prevent maladaptive people from learning adaptive behaviors.
3. Emphasized flexibility in therapy
4. One client may need to have their expectations heightened to succeed and another might have to be lowered a bit to not feel bad

Question 36

Evaluative Comments on Rotter’s Theory

Answer 36

Comprehensiveness: Good, it has application in both clinical and experimental settings and covers a wide range of phenomena

Precision and Testability: Rotter’s theories are well-defined, able to be tested and have been tested.

Parsimony: it’s fair here however its unsettled in abnormal and therapeutic phenomena

Empirical Validity: Mostly based on the I-E concept which is very strongly supported however the rest is somewhat fallow

Heuristic Value: The I-E concept has stimulated research in many areas
Applied Value: his theories have been strongly used in the clinical therapy world for diagnosing many psychological problems