These cognitive variables are part of a complex system that links the
situations we encounter with our behavior. An oversimplified illustration of
this process is shown in Figure 15.1. How we react to features in the environ-
ment, and even whether we notice these features, depends on our cognitive
structures. Once perceived, various mental representations, such as expecta-
tions, values and goals, interact with one another to determine how we respond
to the situation. Notice also that, as in some of the social learning models, ourbehavior can then affect the situation.
How do we explain individual differences within this cognitive frame-
work? The answer is that each of us possesses a different set of mental repre-sentations. In addition, how easily we access certain kinds of information
stored in memory varies from individual to individual. As a result, two people
often react to the same situation differently. What one person hears as aclever retort someone else might take as an insult. A Christmas tree will re-
mind one person of religious values, another of family and seasonal joy, and
a third of sad memories from childhood.
Schemas
Let’s now return to the scene at the beginning of this chapter —the one in
which my friend and I came away from the party with completely different
impressions. Although we were exposed to essentially the same people andi
jhgfedcbaFeatures of SituationsCognitive-
Affective
System
Behaviors
FIGURE 15.1 Cognitive Model of Personality
Source: From “A Cognitive-Affective System Theory of Personality: Reconceptualizing Situations, Disposition, Dynamics, and Invariance in
Personality Structure, ”by W. Mischel and Y. Shoda, Psychological Review , 1995, 102, 246 –148. Copyright © 1995 American Psychological
Association.416 CHAPTER 15 The Cognitive Approach