Part II of Personality: Social
Last time I looked at personality through a psychoanalytic lens. This week, Social theory is the focus. Albert Bandura, the originator, proposed that a person’s personality is the result of reciprocal determinism. WHAT? Oh, it sounds fancy, but in laymen’s terms it means that your personality is the result of the interaction between behaviors, cognitions, and environmental factors. Okay, wait. That explanation sounded more like a bunch of my psychologist friends chatting it up. I’ll demonstrate . . .
Sarah Protag grew up never experiencing want. She simply asked for her heart’s desires, and her parents fulfilled her wishes, every single one. Before you judge them, you must know that they tried to deny her one time. When Sarah was ten years old, she asked for the moon. (Thought: “When I ask, I always get it.) Her father told her no. Sarah cried and cried and cried. She wailed and wailed and wailed. Then she called a lawyer and threatened to divorce her parents, claiming irreconcilable differences. (Behavior: tantrums and litigation) Her mother called a friend, an astronaut, who had a piece of the moon. She sent it to Sarah. (Environment: Sarah’s family knew people with connections.)
Bandura would have said that Sarah’s self-efficacy (her belief she could meet the demands of a situation) influenced her actions. Each time she asked for something and received it, it reinforced her belief that she had power. Sarah's actions environment (her parents had influence and connections) influenced her actions (calling a lawyer and crying) and vice versa. If Sarah was poor and rarely had her needs met, she would not consider asking for the moon. Sarah wouldn’t think her wishes and desires held any power. Sarah would have a VERY different personality.
Think of characters who showcase this dance between thoughts and behaviors and environment. One person that comes to mind is Katniss from Hunger Games. She is a classic example of someone who grows up in an impoverished environment and fails to see her strength until placed in an extreme situation.
Who would you name?