Social Cognitive Perspective

The social-cognitive perspective proposes that the personality develops through the way we interpret and process the information given to us about ourselves, our relationships, and our interactions with others. This perspective is different than the other three perspectives (psychoanalytic, humanistic, and trait) in that it is an external process. The other perspectives suggest that personality develops through internal needs and traits, while the social-cognitive perspective develops through observations and cognitive processing of information that is given to them through their social environment. The biggest influence on the development of the personality is the environment that is lived in, while with the other three perspectives, the biggest influence is the internal needs of the individual (Boyd & Bee, 2015). Along with the social-cognitive perspective comes characteristics such as personal control, self-control, learned helplessness, and optimism. …show more content…
Locus of control refers to the degree in which one believes that their personal actions are what produces the outcomes in their lives rather than the environmental factors around them that are uncontrollable. The ones who believe that their actions are what produces their outcomes in life have an internal locus of control. The people who believe that they have no control over their outcomes have an external locus of control. Studies show that people who have an internal locus of control are more likely to be successful because they believe that their actions determine their outcomes. Therefore, they work to create positive outcomes for themselves. The people with an external locus of control are more likely to be stressed out and depressed because they believe that they have no control over their lives. These people tend to feel helpless, which brings us to learned helplessness (Boyd & Bee,