Cognitive View of Personality

Cognition plays a significant role in personality and psychopathology

Cognition Forms◦ Automatic Thoughts◦ Processing Errors◦ Schema (core beliefs)

Beck

Basic model◦ Thinking Causes Feeling/Behavior

It’s not events that disturb us, it is what we think about these events.

Beck

AutomaticThoughts

EventsSchema

EmotionsBehavior

Others’Behavior

Distortions

BECK’S MODEL

AutomaticThoughts

EventsSchema

EmotionsBehavior

Others’Behavior

Distortions

BECK’S MODEL Bandura

Reciprocal

Determinism

Personal Factors

Overt Behavior

The Environment

AutomaticThoughts

EventsSchema

EmotionsBehavior

Others’Behavior

Distortions

BECK’S MODEL Pavlov

NS-CS

UCR - CR

UCS?UCS?

UCS?

AutomaticThoughts

EventsSchema

EmotionsBehavior

Others’Behavior

Distortions

BECK’S MODEL Pavlov

CS

CR

AutomaticThoughts

EventsSchema

EmotionsBehavior

Others’Behavior

Distortions

BECK’S MODEL Skinner SA

SB

SCNS-CS

UCR - CR

UCS?

AutomaticThoughts

EventsSchema

EmotionsBehavior

Others’Behavior

Distortions

BECK’S MODELSA

SB

SCNS-CS

UCR - CR

UCS? Beck’sUniquePiece

AutomaticThoughts

EventsSchema

EmotionsBehavior

Others’Behavior

Distortions

BECK’S MODELAn Application “A look”

I can’t do this Mind Reading

Anxiety, FearVisible nervousnessAvoidance

incompetence

Closer observation

Almost always believed Spontaneous Simple rules that worked in past Idiosyncratic Persistent and self-perpetuating Different from public statements Repeat habitual themes Learned

Characteristics of Automatic Thoughts

Distortions Filtering

◦ tunnel vision

tendency to look at only one element of a situation

positives are discounted negatives are counted

Polarized thinking◦ black and white thinking◦ Splitting

Distortions

Overgeneralization◦ conclusion based on a single event or piece of evidence

includes global labels for people and places◦ e.g., jerk, stupid, etc.◦ contains a grain of truth◦ ignores all contrary evidence

Distortions

Mind Reading◦ you assume you know how others are

thinking◦ then you make a judgment about them ◦ you make assumptions about how others are

reacting to you

Distortions

Catastrophizing◦ imagines the worst possible outcome

Distortions

Magnifying/Minimizing◦ blow things out of proportion (or opposite)◦ words: “huge, impossible, overwhelming”

Distortions

Personalization◦ constant comparing yourself to others◦ relate everything to yourself◦ person is a causal factor (when not)

Distortions

Shoulds◦ operating from a list of inflexible rules◦ applies to self and others◦ deviation from rules is bad◦ judging and finding fault

Distortions

Magical Reasoning

◦ Thinking will make it happen

Distortions

Emotional Reasoning

◦ I feel it, therefore it is true.

Distortions

Schema◦ mental structures that guide behaviour◦ influences what we see and remember◦ sometimes called rules or beliefs◦ a product of previous learning

Schema

Orders the world Promotes efficiency Reduces the amount of info we need to process Usually adaptive

Schemas

About things About procedures About ourselves About others

Types of Schema

Cognitive Personality “Styles”

Schema and Behavior

love autonomy and indepedence keep their own counsel cautious and perceptive stand up for themselves alert to criticism high premium on loyalty

The Vigilant Style

are comfortable being alone are independent even-tempered, calm, unsentimental are stoic (indifferent to pain and pleasure) not driven by sexual needs unswayed by praise or criticism

The Solitary Style

rich inner life few close relationships eccentric do their own thing have an expanding reality drawn to abstract and speculative thinking keen observers of others

The Idiosyncratic Style

Nonconforming like challenge and dares Independent, tend to be persuasive like to keep moving may be hell-raisers and mischief makers courageous and bold no regrets (i.e., live in the present)

The Adventurous Style

 always be romantically attached to someone

intense, emotionally active and reactive uninhibited, spontaneous, high energy open-minded skilled at distancing themselves from reality

when it is painful or harsh

The Mercurial Style

live in an emotional world, rich imaginations tell entertaining stories, like attention pay a lot of attention to appearance seductive, engaging and charming, get involved in relationships quickly eagerly respond to new ideas and

suggestions from others

The Dramatic Style

believe in themselves expect to be treated well by others ambitious, interest in politics, competitive identify with people of rank and stature have fantasies of greatness are self-aware and poised

The Self-Confident Style

likes the familiar deeply concerned about what others think cautious in dealing with others, polite best in scripted settings value privacy

The Sensitive Style

dedicated in relationships prefer the company of one or more don't like to be alone, good teamplayers tend to be deferent promote harmony and considerate find meaning in attachments with others

The Devoted Style

hardworking, individuals of conscience (like to do the right thing), like to do things

the right way perfectionists, persevering, ordered,

detailed prudent (i.e., thrifty, careful, cautious) to accumulate things (i.e., pack rat)

The Conscientious Style

Albert Ellis

George Kelly

Other Cognitive Types