Rotter Flashcards
What are Rotter’s core structures?
Expectancy
Value
- amount
- type
What is a need?
A type of reinforcer you are willing to work for across many situations
What equation did Rotter come up with?
p (8) = f (E times Rv)
What is a trait?
Permanent, invariable, internal entities that determine stable behavior across most social situations.
What is social-cognitive learning theory?
It proposes that important factors are cognitive and affective processes rather than traits.
How many concepts was Rotter’s social learning theory based on? Which are they?
Five concepts: reinforcement, reinforcement value, psychological situation, expectancy, and generalized expectancy.
What, according to Rotter, is reinforcement?
Refers to anything that has an influence on the occurrence, direction, or kind of behavior
Reinforcement value?
The degree of preference for any reinforcement to occur if the possibilities of many different reinforcements are all equal
Ex: Linda sometimes dates Fred. Going out with Fred has low reinforcement value because, given a choice among several other dates, Fred would be just about the last selected.
Psychological situation?
Characterized in a way peculiar to a person, allowing the person to categorize it with certain other situations, as well as differentiate it from still others
Ex: To some people, classical music is entertainment; to others a waste of time. People who think it is entertainment place it in a category of other forms of entertainment, such as movies and baseball.
Expectancy?
The probability held by the individual that a particular reinforcement will occur as a function of a specific behavior on his part in a specific situation or situations
Ex: If Linda calls Fred, she knows he would be more than willing to come over because he is in love with her, even though she isn’t.
Generalized expectancy?
An expectancy that holds for a number of situations that are similar to one another to some degree
Locus of control?
Refers to “the degree to which persons expect that… reinforcement [and other outcomes] of their behavior is [dependent on their] behavior or personal characteristics versus the degree to which [they expect it is due to] chance, luck, or fate…. powerful others, or is simply unpredictable.”
External locus of control?
Refers to people’s belief that reinforcement of their behaviors is due more to luck, chance, fate, powerful others, or complex and unpredictable environmental forces, rather being determined by their own behaviors, efforts, or characteristics.
Internal locus of control?
Refers to the belief that reinforcement is dependent on one’s own behavior or characteristics, not fate, luck, or chance.
True or false: People who believe in external locus of control (externals) are less compliant than people who believe in internal locus of control (internals).
False. Externals are more likely to conform and be compliant. Internals react against attempts to influence them, even sometimes moving in a direction opposite of the influence attempt.
_____ are higher in anxiety and lower in self-esteem than _____.
Externals; internals
Who is more likely to be victims of substance abuse: internals or externals? Why?
Internals because they are continuously told that their “cure is up to [them].”
Alcoholics, for example, then use their I-E responses to reflect what they think is expected of them (which doesn’t make them real internals). Or, they may be internals who “self-medicate” to avoid externally imposed medications.
According to Rotter, psychological illnesses (such as schizophrenia) are more likely to be associated with…
Externals
True or false: Rotter believed that the locus of control interfered with social desirability.
True.
What is social desirability?
The need to please others by displaying the characteristics that are valued in our society.
What is freedom of movement?
Behaviors exhibited throughout different situations
Ex: Student gets an A –> increased freedom of movement in studying (confidence). Student fails at sports –> decreased freedom of movement in sports (not confident)
If you believe your efforts won’t reach a reinforcer, you are an ____.
Internal
Ex: working to escape imprisonment
If you believe your efforts will reach a reinforcer, you are an _____.
External
Ex: wait till someone bails you out of imprisonment
