Behavioral, Humanistic,
and Socio-Cultural
Approaches
I. Behavioral Approach
(sometimes called Learning or Socio-Cognitive
Approach)
- Says people’s behavior (and therefore personality)
are learned responses
- Two branches: Behaviorism & Social Learning
Theory
A. Behaviorism
- John B. Watson & B.F. Skinner
- Emphasized environment & reinforcement
on behavior
- Socialization: process by which people
learn socially desirable behaviors of their
culture & adopt them into their
personalities
B. Social Learning Theory
- Alfred Bandura
- Behavior is formed by observation
- aka we learn by watching and imitating
- Also formed by internal factors
-
Skills (physical and social abilities)
Values (value you put on an outcome affects how we act)
Goals (regulate selves by setting goals)
Expectations (predictions of what will happen in certain situations)
- Self-efficacy: belief in your own abilities
- If you believe you can, you can
II. Humanistic Approach
- Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers
- People are free to do as they choose w/ their lives &
are responsible for those choices
- Humans are basically good & strive toward health,
growth, creativity
II. Humanistic Approach
Maslow: personality formed by striving for & achieving selfactualization (full potential)
Self-Actualization
the process of fulfilling our potential
Esteem
Love Needs
Safety
Physiological
Rogers: people are conscious creators of their own personalities
- Free choice and action
- Stresses self-concept: a view of oneself as an individual
- Happiness is through congruence: consistency between selfconcept and your own life
III. Socio-Cultural Approach
- ethnicity, gender, and culture influence personality
- Individualism vs. Collectivism
- Valuing self/individuality vs. belonging to a group/relating to other
people
- Ex. US focuses on individuals while many Asia countries focus on groups
- Finish “I am” sentences
- Americans more likely to talk about self: “I am outgoing. I am a
student.”
- Japanese more likely to focus on groups they belong to: “I am a father.
I am a Buddhist.”
III. Socio-Cultural Approach
- Gender & cultural differences affect attitudes such as
sharing and caring
- Acculturation: process of adapting to a new or different
culture
- Biculturalism (belonging to two or more cultures) may
raise self esteem