Learning Objectives

· Apply findings from the social-cognitive perspective on goals to your own life

· Compare social-cognitive perspective to previous theories of personality

· Review studies to identify a gap in personality psychology research

· Propose a research design to address the identified gap in personality psychology research

Module at a Glance

This is the recommended plan for completing the reading assignments and activities within the module. Additional information can be found in the module Reading and Resources section and in the task list.

1. Read Chapters 12 and 13 of your textbook and watch the video Carol Dweck: The Power of Believing That You Can Improve.

2. Write an initial post in the discussion. Remember to respond to your classmates on the discussion topic later in the week.

3. Submit your Final Project, your final research investigation.

Reading and Resources

Required Resources Textbook: Personality: Theory and Research , Chapters 12 and 13 In these chapters, you will learn about a contemporary theory of personality called the social-cognitive theory. This reading supports this module’s discussion. Textbook: Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association , Chapters 4, 5, and 6 Chapters 4 and 5 on writing clearly and concisely, provides guidelines for improved writing. Chapter 6, on the mechanics of style, provides guidelines for writing in APA style, including punctuation and spelling rules. These readings support the Final Project. Video: Carol Dweck: The Power of Believing That You Can Improve (10:20) In this TED Talk, Carol Dweck discusses a growth mind-set and how it relates to different types of goals and impacts success. This resource supports this module’s discussion. Document: Final Project Paper Template Use this template as a guide when writing your final paper in this module. This resource supports Final Project.

Additional Support (Optional) Video: Walter Mischel on his Marshmallow Experiment (9:23) In this video, Walter Mischel explains his marshmallow experiment and the concept of delayed gratification. This resource is optional but supports this module’s discussion.

The captioned version of this video can be found here.

Video: Angela Lee Duckworth: The Key to Success? Grit (6:09) In this TED Talk, Angela Lee Duckworth discusses a characteristic that is related to self-control and that predicts school success—grit. This resource is optional but supports this module’s discussion. Article: The Effort Effect This article explains Carol Dweck’s research on goals and success. This resource is optional but supports this module’s discussion.

Website: Purdue OWL Reference Page Information This webpage from the Purdue Online Writing Lab describes how to properly format references from a variety of sources in proper APA style. This resource is optional but supports Final Project as well as the content of the course as a whole.

MODULE OVERVIEW

In this module, you will discover how a more contemporary personality theory, the social-cognitive theory, explains the development of personality. The social-cognitive theory looks to our cognitions to explain our emotions and behavior, and specifically our beliefs, goals, and evaluative standards. You will learn about two important theorists who have conducted pioneering research in this area, Albert Bandura and Walter Mischel. You may have already heard of Bandura’s observational learning theory or Mischel’s marshmallow experiment (delayed gratification). This module will explain how those theories and concepts are connected to personality and success. As was mentioned earlier, social-cognitive theory examines people’s goals as a component of personality. In this module, you will also learn how perceptions of goals can influence performance and success. You will find that many of these concepts can be applied to your own lives. As we wrap up this last theory of personality, you will be able to reflect upon the personality theories you have studied throughout this course. You will see the strengths of each theory, as well as the weaknesses, and you will have a better understanding of how the social-cognitive theory has attempted to evolve and overcome the limitations of the previous theories you have learned about. After understanding this last theory, you will have a comprehensive picture of how personality develops.