social cognitive theories

Question 1

limited prediction from trait scores

Answer 1

• Mischel reviewed correlations between trait scores and particular behaviours, and between particular behaviours across (sometimes very similar) situations
• he seldom found correlations above .30
• triggered trait theory

Question 2

trait as narrow but over-generalised

Answer 2

• Mischel suggests that assessments of cross-situational consistency may be based on judgements of temporal consistency of (situation-specific) prototypical behaviours in prototypical situations
• but trait assessments can ‘allow for’ person-situation interactions (Kammrath et al, 2005)
• we see people in a very constrained set of circumstances - leads us to over contribute, and think of them as this type of person
• accepts that sometimes there are some broad traits but it can be narrow

Question 3

behavioural signatures

Answer 3

• “Might the same person who is more caring, giving, and supportive than most people in relation to his family also be less caring and altruistic than most people in other contexts? Might these variations across situations be meaningful stable patterns that characterise the person enduringly…?” (Mischel)

Question 4

intraindividual profiles for verbal and physical aggression for one person

Answer 4

• Shoda et al (1994)
• American summer camp - location
• sample - boys
• if your above the line your very high in the aggression

Question 5

creating new behavioural regularities

Answer 5

• faltering developments
• not generating new stuff - as it is expensive to do

Question 6

instrumental (operant) conditioning

Answer 6

• behaviours are more likely to be repeated when followed by welcomed outcomes (positive or negative reinforcement)
• behaviours are less likely to be repeated when followed by an unwelcome outcome (“punished”)

Question 7

‘vicarious’ conditioning

Answer 7

• witnessing others’ stark responses to a stimulus (e.g., pain after a buzzer) can quickly lead to manifesting similar responses (e.g., physiological arousal) to the stimulus
• e.g., Mikeka et al (1984) demonstrated near-instant learning of fear of snakes when infant monkeys saw arents react very fearfully to even toy snakes

Question 8

Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory

Answer 8

• observational learning
• competencies and cognitions
• goals and standards

Question 9

observational learning

Answer 9

• 4-year-olds witnessed a male or female adult “playing” in response to a request to do so
• some adults played with a construction toy; others creatively beat-up and insulted a ‘bobo’ doll - ways in which children hadn’t seen before
• kids taken elsewhere and told they could not play with some desirable toys
• they could play with a bobo doll

Question 10

little (novel) aggression when it was not modelled

Answer 10

• there was little display of ‘imitative’ novel aggression from the kids who had watched the adult play with a construction toy (‘despite’ their frustration)

Question 11

the boys copied the man, especially physically

Answer 11

• boys engaged in a lot of imitative learning
• copied the mens actions and speech - more with aggressive actions
• copied very little of the female speech

Question 12

the girls copied the womens speech, a bit

Answer 12

• girls a lot of imitative learning - specifically in the speech of females

Question 13

my interpretation

Answer 13

• apparently ‘gender-appropriate’ novel behaviour - described as “play” - was copied when this group of children were frustrated and then given a nove bobo doll to play with
• this is a far cry from “watching violence makes people aggressive”

Question 14

learning possibilities

Answer 14

• all participants saw a film of a man beating a bobo doll who “refused to move out of his way when told to do so”
• condition 1 - straight to aggression measure
• condition 2 - first saw the man rewarded for his behaviour with praise and confectionary
• condition 3 - first saw the man called a bully, spanked with a rolled-up magazine, and threatened with a firmer spanking for any repeat of his aggressive behaviour

Question 15

actions copied least if saw adult punished for them

Answer 15

• if there was model rewarded there was no deviation
• you wont get more aggression if you rewarded aggression
• if the kids saw the adult getting punished then they are less likely to copy the behaviour

Question 16

next

Answer 16

• the kids were offered stickers and juice if they could copy what they had seen the man do

Question 17

situation-specific personality characteristics

Answer 17

• Situation-specific behaviour was learned.
• Learn lessons on what we can do in specific situations.
• Competencies (skills)
  
  1. Intelligence (understanding, problem solving)
  2. Cognitive (perceptual, problem solving)
  3. Behavioural (performance, gratification delay)
• Cognitions (beliefs)
  
  4. Expectancies - conditional, perceived self-efficiency
     Standardised and goals (and self-regulation)

Question 18

self-efficacy influences

Answer 18

• goal selection
• effort, persistence and performance
• approach mood and attitude
• ‘threat’ appraisal and anticipated coping - cf. Folkman and Lazarus model of stress

Question 19

summary

Answer 19

• There are regularities of people’s behaviours from human nature and personal experience.
• Many humans can also self-regulate by choosing and pursuing goals.
• There are relatively situation-specific and situation-encompassing regularities.
• Behavioural signatures are highly informative about individuals’ characteristics.