Brian Cinero

Re: Cognition and Emotion
In light of cognition and emotion, what does emotion have to do with thinking and behavior What does it have to do with cognitive processes, application, and recall per personality development?

It is my belief that emotion plays a significant role in thinking and behavior. I also think that emotion impacts individuals differently, which would then have differing effects on behavior. Trait theories have found that individuals differ in thoughts, feelings, and emotions, and behaviors across time and situations (Sherman, Rauthmann, Brown, Serfass, & Jones, 2015).

In addition, the authors suggests that the Cognitive-Affective Processing System model, the trait activation theory, and the whole trait theory are meant to attempt to address the difference in individual personality based on situation. Personally, I tend to be a pretty emotionally driven person and something that I have had to learn to work with. However, I can tell you that often time my internal emotions have allowed me to stop and see the situation in a different way, which then resulted in a different approach.

References

Sherman, R. A., Rauthmann, J. F., Brown, N. A., Serfass, D. G., & Jones, A. B. (2015). The independent effects of personality and situation on real-time expressions of beahvior and emotion.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 109(5), 872-888.

Benjamin Garrison

Re:Module 8 DQ 1

The cognitive theories consider how thoughts shape personality. What is the most significant manner in which the cognitive perspective of personality differs from the behavioral perspective? Why?

The most significant difference between the cognitive perspective and behavior perspectives is the consideration of constructs and how they affect the individual. Constructs are the thoughts that individuals build about certain objects or situations. Burr, King and Butt (2014) describe them as "a lens through which the world is perceived" noting that they "consists of a set of bipolar dimensions or ‘constructs', such as friendly vs. hostile, interesting vs. dull, etc., which the person uses to interpret their experience" (p. 342). Behavior theorists do not consider constructs because it is not something they can see. Behavioral theorists traditionally only studied behavior that they were able to observe.

Constructs affect the individual and how they will react to stimulus in their environment. For instance, someone that is bitten by a dog may develop a construct that causes them to avoid all dogs. They see dogs as a threat even though only one of them has harmed them. However, their continued experience will also play a role. According to Chiari (2013) in personal construct theory "the construction of personal experience changes continuously, and these changes (transitions) are themselves construed by the person" (p. 252). If they avoid dogs in the future, their experiences will stop and their construct towards dogs may never change. However, if they continue to have experiences with dogs, then their experience may either be reinforced by another attack or be softened by learning that other dogs are not as hostile.

Burr, V., King, N., & Butt, T. (2014).Personal construct psychology methods for qualitative research.International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 17(4), 341-355.doi:10.1080/13645579.2012.730702
Chiari, G. (2013). Emotion in personal construct theory: A controversial question. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 26(4), 249-261.doi:10.1080/10720537.2013.812853

Kendrick Kim

How have your views on personality development changed through this course? How might these changes inform or affect your intended research?

Dr. Walker and class, I first would like to say that the interaction and discussion for each week has been very lively and interesting. All of you had such great insight and posts. Dr. Walker, thank you for providing additional insight, resources, and passion to the course, it really shows. Each week with the discussion questions and additional questions posed by Dr. Walker, I found the discussions very stimulating and really made me think and want to delve more deeper into the research of personality and to the points brought up from the class. The textbook by Ryckman (2013) and weekly notes provided by Dr. Walker (2016) was very insightful, and the most interesting topics I found was more information and research about Freud and Neo-Freudian models of psychoanalysis and the expansion to Freud's theoretical models.

In addition, to these topics, the paper we recently turned in and the research and discussion on "Innate Good" really was fascinating and really summarized all the theoretical models related to personality from Ryckman's (2013) texbook, Dr. Walker (2013) notes provided each week, and additional research found through the library at GCU.

I would also like to add that during the lecture notes about Maslow and self actualization by Walker (2013) and Ryckman (2013) will be incorporated into my dissertation on emotional intelligence. I hope everyone keeps in touch and for some I will see you in our next class, Life span development. Dr. Walker, thank you for the resources and information you have provided througout this course.

Respectfully,

Kendrick Kim

Reference(s)
Reha (2006) Week Five Lecture: BF. Skinner and organizational behavior. Bus 266-Human Relations in Business.Fullerton College
Ryckman, R. M. (2013). Theories of personality (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Walker (2016) Week One through Week Seven Lecture: PSY840-Personality Psychology. Grand Canyon University