Final answer:
The approach to personality development that centers on conscious awareness and cognitive factors in relation to behavior is the social cognitive approach, associated with theorists like Albert Bandura.
Step-by-step explanation:
The approach to personality development that emphasizes conscious awareness, beliefs, expectations, and goals and how these factors relate to behavior and performance is known as the social cognitive approach. Cognitive psychology is indeed focused on the study of human thinking and how it influences behavior. The development of personality in the social cognitive perspective is particularly associated with theorists like Albert Bandura, who discussed concepts like reciprocal determinism and self-efficacy, highlighting the interplay between personal cognitive factors and environmental influences.
A field that also considers personal cognitive factors, but with a primary focus on situational factors, is social psychology. However, it differs from the social cognitive approach in terms of the breadth of topics and perspectives it covers.
In the context of personality development, Rogers's and Maslow's humanistic approaches emphasize the growth potential of individuals and their drive towards self-actualization, whereas Bandura's social cognitive theory underlines the role of learning from the environment and cognitive processes in shaping personality.
Answer: a. Social cognitive