Question

First Part: Start with a brief summary of the assigned theory( style=”color:rgb(0,0,0);”>Cognitive-affective personality system).
Consider the following in your initial post:Discuss some potential areas where the theory seems particular weak or biased. More specifically, are there any “weak links” in the theory or areas that the theory does not address?Is there any bias in how the theory explains personality?As you discuss the weaknesses and biases of your assigned theory, also discuss any other theories that may address the weaknesses or biases of your assigned theory.
Second Part: Please respond to prompt 1 with 1-2 parag.:: Consider the similarities and differences of the weaknesses and biases that you identified. Also, discuss other theories that may help address the weaknesses and biases discussed in your peers’ posts.
B.F. Skinner was part of a new revolutionary change in the way that psychologist viewed people’s behavior. Unlike previous thinking and ways of study, Skinner created a theory that was based on the way people learn. Skinner created two different types of learning – response conditioning and operant conditioning. The first type did not require any effort from the participant or person. It typically involves and involuntary reaction from the person such as flinching or some other response. Operant required an action or operation from the person (Funder, 2016).One of the biggest weaknesses for Skinner’s theory is that all his research involved animal testing. While such practice is common when a theory is first being studied since to start straight with people would be unethical given the context of his work. However, it leaves room for error and the inability to generalize the theory to a larger population. Animals and humans think vastly in a different manner. Animal can be trained to do trick if they think food will be given to them if they do it. A person would eventually figure out their own way to get the food. Skinner’s theory was focused more on learning rather than about the different aspects of the human mind which come into play.Several other theorists created other ideas to help account for this flaw. Julian Rotter devised his idea of expectancy value theory around the idea that behavior is not just motivated by the size or actually being a reward, but the belief of the likely results of the behavior (Funder, 2016). By adding that belief element, Rotter put back thinking and the human mind into the theory.Reference Funder, David C. (2016). The Personality Puzzle. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Please respond to prompt 2 with 1-2 parag.: Consider the similarities and differences of the weaknesses and biases that you identified. Also, discuss other theories that may help address the weaknesses and biases discussed in your peers’ posts.

Bandura’s social learning theory was influenced by Rotter’s version of social learning. There are differences amongst these two theories the key to Bandura’s is according to Funder (2016) ” theory gives less emphasis to stable differences between people in fact it generally ignores them.” The book explains Bandura’s “efficacy is the perceived probability that you can do something in the first place.” This is very important because I think this aids in self esteem when I read it in the book. This theory leads me to the thought of is a person capable of doing something and that something is anything reasonable. I think the main understanding of this theory is how we perceive our goals and will we persist.  When I first read about this theory I did not see any weakness in it because I was reading the books examples. Which they were explained quite well and there is no questioning when an idea is explained well. I read the example about the the snake phobia. I am afraid of snakes myself and seeing one makes me feel uneasy. I can have the idea in my head all day long “I don’t want to be afraid of snakes” but if the sight of one, when I am far away bothers me how will I get over the fear. By simply putting an idea in my head about a fear that I probably don’t want to concur. I think this theory only touches on people in a positive mindset in my opinion. I do not see this theory effecting people who are in a mindset outside of a positive one.


Funder, C.,D. (2016) The personality puzzle 7^th ed. New York, NY: W.W Norton & Company