Which of the following is a criticism of the social cognitive approach to personality?

• A. It focuses exclusively on the structure of the id, ego, and superego.
• B. It ignores the role of defense mechanisms in shaping personality.
• C. It places too much emphasis on biological factors and genetic inheritance.
• D. It underestimates the influence of unconscious motives and childhood experiences.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the social cognitive approach to personality emphasizes the role of cognitive processes, observational learning, and situational influences in shaping behavior and personality.
2. Recognize that this approach focuses on conscious thought processes and how people interpret and respond to their environment, rather than unconscious motives or early childhood experiences.
3. Identify common criticisms of the social cognitive approach, such as its potential underestimation of unconscious motives and the impact of childhood experiences, which are emphasized in other theories like psychoanalysis.
4. Compare the social cognitive approach with psychoanalytic theory, which highlights the structure of the id, ego, and superego, defense mechanisms, and unconscious processes, to see why the social cognitive approach might be criticized for neglecting these aspects.
5. Conclude that the criticism 'It underestimates the influence of unconscious motives and childhood experiences' is valid because the social cognitive approach primarily focuses on conscious cognitive processes and situational factors rather than unconscious or early developmental influences.