Theory and Application in Personality Science: The Case of Social-cognitive Theory

Daniel Cervone

Psychology and Developing Societies, 2023, vol. 35, issue 2, 220-250

Abstract: This article reviews the development of theoretical concepts and applications of basic findings in personality psychology. It does so primarily by focusing on social-cognitive theories of personality structure and functioning. These include the foundational theories of Bandura and Mischel and the subsequent KAPA model of Cervone. Three central themes in social-cognitive conceptions are identified: (a) a focus on individuals rather than on summaries of individual differences in the population, (b) attention to causal mechanisms underlying action and experience and (c) the study of persons in context, including attention to psychological processes through which people assign meaning to diverse settings and life challenges. These emphases facilitate applications, as is illustrated by a review of applied efforts in developing societies that capitalise on principles of social-cognitive theory, including assessments guided by the KAPA model.

Keywords: Personality theory; personality science; social-cognitive theory; personality architecture (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:psydev:v:35:y:2023:i:2:p:220-250

DOI: 10.1177/09713336231178366

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