Explaining Cognitive and Social-Cognitive Aspects of Personality on Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad’s Personality

Analyzing personality can be a complex process, in which there can be many answer. Personality theories seem to be possible to be applying in real life settings. This assignment is about how cognitive and social-cognitive aspects of psychology influenced Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad’s personality. For this assignment, I read through the different aspects of personality and found that Albert Bandura’s self-system reflects best on Dr. Mahathir’s personality development. This system suggests or provides the reader with clues in understanding Tun’s personality and insight into how Dr. Mahathir made his major life decisions and how effective they were in achieving his goals. Whether as a prime minister or not, Dr. Mahathir’s personality is well-known all across the world.
Cognitive theory explains behavior as guided by cognitions about the world, especially those about others. Another way to understand this theory is one’s expectations to those about other people (Wilderdom, 2003). Cognitive theories are theories of personality that emphasizes cognitive processes such as thinking and judging. Bandura’s theory of social-cognitive personality is significant in the field of cognitive psychology. Albert Bandura (1989) suggested the forces of memory and emotions working together with the environmental influences. According to Bandura, the self-system is the set cognitive process by which people perceives, evaluates, and cite regulates his or her behavior so that it is appropriate to the environment and effective in achieving goals (Bandura, 1978). The self system was originally developed by Harry Stack Sullivan in 1953 which is the individual’s collection of self-perceptions (Sullivan, 1953). As I followed Dr. Mahathir’s life, I realized the way he thought of ideas to solve problems is so much similar with a person who has social-cognitive based personality. So I choose to attempt applying Bandura’s self-system and other relevant concepts containing related theories to

References: Astrotheme, (2012). Mahathir Mohamad: Astrology and birth chart. Retrieved from http://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Mahathir_Mohamad Bandura, A Bandura, A. (1989). Human agency in social-cognitive theory. American Psychologist, 44, 1175-1184. Bandura, A. (1994). Self-efficacy. In V. S. Ramachaudran (Ed.), Encyclopedia of human behavior, 4. New York: Academic Press, 71-81. Bandura, A. (1995). Self-efficacy in changing societies. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. Bernstein, R. M. (1980). The development of the self-system during adolescence. The journal of Genetic Psychology: Research and Theory on human development, 136(2), 231-245. Bullock-Yowell, E., Andrews, L., & Buzzetta, M. E. (2011). Explaining career decision-making self-efficacy: Personality, cognitions and cultural mistrust. The career development quarterly, 59(5), 400-411. Caprara, G. V., Vecchione, M., Alessandri, G., Gerbino, M., & Barbaranelli, C. (2011). The contribution of personal traits and self-efficacy beliefs to academic achievement: A longitudinal study. British journal psychology, 81, 78-96. Clements Library, (1779). Terms of betrayal. Retrieved from http://www2.si.umich.edu/spies/stories-arnold-1.html Friedman, H Haji Azmy, (2009). Changes for hope: 20 strategies to become a developed country (introduction). Retrieved from http://changesforhopedrazmy.com/?tag=malaysias-father-of-modernization. M. Bakri Musa, (1999). The Malay dilemma revisited – Race dynamics in modern Malaysia. Gilroy, California: Merantau Publishers. MacKenzie, M. B., Mezo, P. G., & Francis, S. E. (2012). A conceptual framework for understanding self-regulation in adults. New ideas in psychology, 30(2), 155-165. Mahathir Mohamad, (2003). A tribute to Dr. Mahathir Mohamad: A great leader and statesman. Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru: Various Channels Communication Sdn. Bhd. Manz, C. C., & Sims, H. P. (1981). Vicarious learning: The influence of modeling on organizational behavior. The academy of management, 6(1), 105-113. Masilamany, J. (2006, June 29). Mending fences. theSun, 14. Milne, R. S., & Mauzy, D. K. (1999). Malaysian politics under Mahathir. Oxford, United Kingdom: Routledge. Morais, J. V. (1982). Mahathir: A profile in courage. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Eastern University Press. Nathan, L. (1999). ‘When push comes to shove’ the failure of international mediator in African civil wars. Track two, 8(2), 1-23. Perdana Leadership Foundation, (2010). Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. Retrieved from http://www.perdana.org.my/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=187&Itemid=136 Rock, M Sullivan, H. S. (1953). The interpersonal theory of psychiatry. New York: Norton. The Malaysian Times, (2012). Dr. Mahathir rules out international mediator’s role. Retrieved from http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/dr-mahathir-rules-out-international-mediators-role theStar, (2012) Wain, B. (2010). Malaysia maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in turbulent times. New York, New York: Palgrave Macmilan Wilderdom, (2003)