Psych 205 1st Edition Lecture 23 Outline of Last Lecture I. The Behavioral/Social Learning Approach: Relevant ResearchOutline of Current Lecture II. The Cognitive Approach: Theory, Application, and AssessmentIII. Personal construct theoryIV. Cognitive personality variablesV. Cognitive representation of the selfCurrent LectureIn todays lecture, we started talking about the Cognitive Approach and the theory, assessment, and application of it. We were introduced what the Personal construct theory is and who came up with it. We learned cognitive personality variables and traits of the cognitive representation of the self.Cognitive Approach-Differences in personality are differences in the way people process information-Kurt Lewin’s Field of theory of behavior (1938)-Early professor of cognitive theory-Described the mental representations we form of the important elements in our lives and how we organize those within our “life space”.-Personal Construct Theory-George Kelly-“Psychology of Personal Constructs” (1955)-Promise of many approaches identified as cognitive-“Man –the-scientist” perspective-Need to predict and control-Use of “transparent templates”These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.-Personal construct: cognitive structures people use to interpret and predict events-People do not use identical personal constructs-People do not organize constructs in an identical manner-Bipolar (either-or)-Friendly-in friendly-Intelligent-unintelligent-Application of first construct is followed by other bipolar constructs-Allows us to refine our impressions-not just black or white thinking-Differences in personality results from differences in the way people interpret the world-Helps to explain why we respond to the same situation in different ways-We have characteristic ways of interacting with each otherPersonal Construct Systems-Your answer to the “what do you notice first” question provides some insight about your “personal construct system”-You and I may use different constructs or, you and I may use the same constructs but construe the world differently-OR, our constructs might be the same on one “pole” but not the other-Example: You might use “friendly shy” and I might use “friendly-unfriendly”Inadequate Personal Constructs-Kelly: people suffer from psychological problems due to defects in their construct systems-Past traumatic experiences are not in the cause of the problems-People become anxious when personal constructs fail to make sense of the events in their lives-People frequently generate a new construct to replace the inadequate oneCognitive Personality Variables-Elements between the stimulus and response-“Black box” behaviorism-Extremely important in cognitive theory-Referred as cognitive affective units-Part of a complex system that links situations people encounter with their behaviorCognitive-Affective Units-Encodings: categories (constructs) for encoding information about one’s self, other people, events, and situations-Expectations and Beliefs: expectations for what will happen in certain situations, for outcomes for certain behaviors, and for one’s personal efficacy-Affects: feedings, emotions, and emotional responses-Goals and Values: individual goals and values, and life projects-Competencies and Self-Regulatory Plans: perceived abilities, plans, and strategies for changing and maintaining one’s behavior and internal statesCognitive Personality Variables-Part of a complex system that links situations people encounter with their behavior-How we react, what we notice- depends on the cognitive structures we use-We each possess a different set of mental representations-How easily we access information stored in our memory variesCognitive Representations of the Self-Mental representations are the most important piece to understanding personality in cognitive theory-Self-concept- cognitive representation of oneself-Begins to develop the preschool period and especially in school age-Relatively stable but also becomes more sophisticated over time-Play a central role in the way people process informationSelf-Schemas-Cognitive representations of oneself that one uses to organize and process self-relevant information-Consists of the important behavior and attributes-Trait concepts- part of self-schema-People behave differently due to individual differences in self-schemas-Provide a framework for organizing and sorting information-Self-reference effect-Easy remembering of self-referent words as they are processed through Possible Selves-Cognitive representations of the kind of person we might become someday-Behavior is influenced by cognitive representations of present and future-self-Provide incentives for future behavior-Helps to interpret the meaning of behavior and events in our lives-Researchers use possible selves to study varied behaviors-Binge drinking, academic performance, weight loss, adherence to an excersise program-Researchers indicate gender differences in the possible selves of young men andwomenSelf-Discrepancies-Self-discrepancy theory proposes cognitive representations of the self-Actual self-contains the information you have about the kind of person you are-Ideal self-mental image of the kind of person you would like to be-Ought self-person you believe you should be-Discrepancies between actual and ideals self result in disappointment, dejection, and sadness-Discrepancies between actual and ought self lead to agitation, anxiety, and guilt-Comparison takes place outside of conscious awareness-Measures of the ideal and ought selves are stable over