Rotter & Mischel - Cognitive Social Learning Theory

Question 1

The cognitive social learning theories of Rotter and Mischel attempt to combine the strengths of which two theories?

Answer 1

Reinforcement theory and cognitive theory

Question 2

Rotter & Mischel: People’s behavior in a specific situation is a function of which two variables?

Answer 2

Expectations of reinforcements and strength of the needs satisfied by those reinforcements (value of reinforcement).

Question 3

Rotter & Mischel: Behavior is estimated by which formula?

Answer 3

Basic prediction formula

potential of behavior occurring = ƒ (person’s expectancy of reinforcement + value of reinforcement

Question 4

Rotter & Mischel: What is the general prediction formula?

Answer 4

Need potential is a function of freedom of movement and need value.

Question 5

Rotter & Mischel: What is need potential?

Answer 5

The possible occurrence of a set of behaviors directed toward goal(s). (Will behavior happen?)

Question 6

Rotter & Mischel: What is freedom of movement?

Answer 6

Average expectancy that a set of behaviors will be reinforced.

e.g.: wife has need for dominance via behaviors such as selecting husband’s clothes and deciding on college for son. The average expectancies that these behaviors will meet her goal is a measure of her freedom of movement to dominate.

Question 7

Rotter & Mischel: What is need value?

Answer 7

Degree of preference for one set of reinforcements vs. others.

Question 8

Rotter & Mischel: People sometimes develop ___ ___ for success because similar experiences were reinforced.

Answer 8

Generalized expectancies

Question 9

Rotter & Mischel: __ is a generalized expectancy that one can or cannot control their lives.

Answer 9

Locus of control

Question 10

Rotter & Mischel: Describe interpersonal trust in the context of this theory.

Answer 10

Generalized expectancy that the word of another is reliable.

Question 11

Rotter & Mischel: Describe maladaptive behavior in the context of this theory.

Answer 11

Actions that fail to move a person closer to a desired goal.

Question 12

Rotter’s method of psychotherapy aims to do what?

Answer 12

Change goals and eliminate low expectations.

Question 13

Per Mischel’s cognitive-active personality system, ppl’s behavior is largely shaped by what?

Answer 13

Interaction of stable personality traits and the situation (which includes a number of personal variables)

Question 14

Rotter & Mischel: Personal dispositions have consistency over ___ but little consistency across ___.

Answer 14

time, situations.

Question 15

Rotter & Mischel: Name the five cognitive-affective units.

Answer 15

1. Encoding strategies – way of understanding/categorizing data
2. Expectancies and beliefs – about perceived consequences.
3. Competencies & self-regulatory plans
4. Goals & values
5. Affective responses – emotions inseparable from the other units.

Every Elephant Can Gallop Away.

Question 16

Rotter & Mischel: Stable personality dispositions interact with what to produce behavior?

Answer 16

Cognitive-affective units

(cognitive-affective personality theory: behavior stems from stable personal dispositions & cognitive-affective processes in a specific situation)

Question 17

Rotter & Mischel: What’s the purpose of the cognitive-affective personality system?

Answer 17

To account for variability of behavior across situations, as well as stability of behavior within a person.

Question 18

How does Rotter and Mischel’s theory compare with Skinner’s and Bandura’s?

Answer 18

Skinner argued that behavior is shaped by reinforcement and all control rests with environment, not free will.

Rotter felt that cognitive factors, past histories and expectations for the future, more than reinforcements, determine how ppl will react to environment

Bandura, Rotter, and Mischel agree that cognitive factors such as expectancies, subjective perceptions, values, goals and personal standards shape personality.

Question 19

Summarize Rotter and Mischel’s Cognitive Social Learning Theory

Answer 19

• Cognitive factors, more than reinforcements, determine how ppl will react to environment.
• Potential of behavior is a function of a person’s expectancy & value of reinforcement (basic formula)
• For general situations, need potential is a function of freedom of movement & need value (general formula).
• Behavior is shaped by interaction of stable personality traits and the situation.
• Locus of control – ppl’s beliefs that they can or cannot control their lives.
• Maladaptive behavior: actions that fail to move a person closer to their goal.
• Therapy involves changing goals and eliminating low expectations.

Question 20

Rotter & Mischel: What’s the difference between need potential and behavior potential?

Answer 20

Need potential refers to likelihood of a group of related behaviors occurring.

Behavior potential refers to likelihood of a particular behavior occurring.

Question 21

Rotter & Mischel: What is the basic prediction formula?

Answer 21

Potential of a given behavior occurring is a function of expectancy of and value of the reinforcement.

Question 22

What are cognitive affective units?

Answer 22

All psychological, social, and physiological aspects of people that cause them to interact with their environment with a relatively stable pattern of variation.

Question 23

Mischel’s early research led him to believe that behaviour is mostly a function of
Select one:
a. chance and fortuitous events.
b. the situation. 
c. relatively stable personal traits.
d. a person’s motivation.

Answer 23

b) the situation