Week 7 - Behavioural / Learning / Social Approach

Question 1

Features of Behaviourism (Skinner)

Answer 1

We learn everything , born as a blank state
Operant conditioning shapes personality
- Likelihood of rewards / punishment , motivation , and development
Big change in environment = personality change

Question 2

Criticisms and Counterargument of Behaviourism approach to shape personality

Answer 2

• How can 2 people act different in same environment? ( =2 unique histories of OC)
• Why do we see stability in personality if we constantly learn? ( = environment is similar , develop stable responses)

Question 3

Overview of Social Learning Theory - shaping personality (Bandura)

Answer 3

• Modelling and Reciprocal Determinism
• Vicarious learning / reinforcement
  -Bobo doll study
• Personality learnt through environment but active cognitive role too

Question 4

SLT - 2 studies into personality

Answer 4

Grusec et al - ‘Time to tempt’ : effect of others demonstrated by time taken to play with forbidden toy

Bandura and Mischel- Delayed / Immediate gratification , 3 conditions (no model , adult doing opposite to child’s preference , written model doing opposite to child preference) - both models effective at changing behaviour

Question 5

How does observing others influence behaviour?

Answer 5

See - Evaluate - Interpret Consequence - Apply to self
Reciprocal Determinism (cog factors are important)
Triadic = person/behaviour/environment all influence each other

Question 6

Overview of social approach to personality (Mischel)

Answer 6

Person-situation controversy - situational factors governing behaviour and if behaviour is consistent
There s some underlying consistency in behaviour

Question 7

Explain the questions trait theory

Answer 7

Honesty questionnaire given to students , honesty influenced by circumstances = situation is important (Green and Saxe)

Question 8

Interpreting the Questions Traits Theory

Answer 8

Trait vs Situationism Debate = total trues for even Qs and trues for odd qs
E>O = Situation
O>E= Trait
E = O = Interaction

Question 9

Evaluation (From Trait Theory) and Counterargument of person situation controversy

Answer 9

• Traits are stable [Epstien] (=consistency over time not situation)
  -Mean sociability over many different situations is stable (= cross situational and cross temporal consistency)

Question 10

Agreed overview of person-situation controversy

Answer 10

Importance of personality traits depends on variability of situation
Interaction of personally and situation , not independent