BEHAVIORISM: a theoretical orientation based on
the premise that scientific psychology should
study only observable behavior


Determinism:
behavior is fully
determined by
environmental
stimuli
Skinner: personality
is a collection of
response
tendencies that are
tied to various
stimulus situations


Operant
conditioning
develops
personality
Conditioning
strengthens or
weakens response
tendencies


Albert Bandura
Advocates reciprocal
determinism: the
idea that internal
mental events,
external
environmental
events, and overt
behavior all influence
one another

Def: when an
organism’s
responding is
influenced by the
observation of
others, who are
called models

Def: refers to one’s
belief about one’s
ability to perform
behaviors that
should lead to
expected outcomes


Walter Mischel
Behavior is
characterized by
more situational
specificity than
consistency
HUMANISM: theoretical orientation that emphasizes
the unique qualities of humans, especially their
freedom and their potential for personal growth



People can rise above
primitive nature
People are conscious
and rational beings
Phenomenological
approach: assumes
that one has to
appreciate
individuals’ personal,
subjective
experiences to truly
understand their
behavior



Carl Rogers
Self-concept: a
collection of beliefs
about one’s own
nature, unique
qualities, and typical
behavior
Incongruence: the
degree of disparity
btwn one’s selfconcept and one’s
actual experience



Childhood has a
strong effect on the
self
The self-concept
evolves throughout
childhood and
adolescence
Eventually it
stabilizes


Experiences that
threaten people’s
personal views of
themselves cause
anxiety
People act
defensively to
prevent anxiety

Hierarchy of needs:
a systematic
arrangement of
needs, according to
priority, in which
basic needs must
be met before less
basic needs are
aroused

Need for selfactualization: the
need to fulfill one’s
potential; it is the
highest need in
Maslow’s
motivational
hierarchy

Self-actualizing
persons: people
with exceptionally
healthy
personalities,
marked by
continued personal
growth



Hans Eysenck
Suggests all aspects
of personality
emerge from 3
higher-order traits:
Extraversion,
Neuroticism, and
Psychoticism
(egocentric,
impulsive, cold,
antisocial)






Def: a generalized
preference for high
or low levels of
sensory stimulation
1st described by
Marvin Zuckerman
Thrill and adventure
seeking
Experience seeking
Disinhibition
Susceptibility to
boredom



Mark Snyder
Def: the degrees to
which people
attend to and
control the
impression they
make on others in
social interactions
How do you feel
you are perceived
by others?