SOCIAL COGNITIVE SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORYTHEORY

Social Cognitive TheorySocial Cognitive Theory

TRIADIC RECIPROCAL CAUSATIONTRIADIC RECIPROCAL CAUSATION

Albert Bandura (1986)

Person Behavior

Environment

INTERACTING BIDIRECTIONAL INTERACTING BIDIRECTIONAL INFLUENCESINFLUENCES

For example:

• Environment• If people are dropped into deep water, they will all promptly swim If people are dropped into deep water, they will all promptly swim

however uniquely varied they might be in their cognitive or behavioral however uniquely varied they might be in their cognitive or behavioral repertoires.repertoires.

• Past Behaviors• On the other hand, if a person plays piano for his/her own enjoyment, On the other hand, if a person plays piano for his/her own enjoyment,

such behavior is self-regulated over a long period of time by its sensory such behavior is self-regulated over a long period of time by its sensory effects, and cognitive and environmental influences are involved in this effects, and cognitive and environmental influences are involved in this process by a lesser extent.process by a lesser extent.

• Personality• In deciding what book to check from the library, personal preferences In deciding what book to check from the library, personal preferences

hold the swayhold the sway.

Relative influences exerted by one, two, or all of the three interacting factors on human behavior will vary depending on different activities, different individuals, and different circumstances.

SIX BASIC HUMAN CAPABILITIESSIX BASIC HUMAN CAPABILITIES

• Humans have an extraordinary symbolizing Humans have an extraordinary symbolizing capability which allows them to successfully capability which allows them to successfully change and adaptchange and adapt to their respective to their respective environments. environments.

• By using symbols, people By using symbols, people process and transform process and transform visual experiencesvisual experiences into internal cognitive models into internal cognitive models that in turn serve as guides for future actions. that in turn serve as guides for future actions.

• Through symbolizing activity, people also Through symbolizing activity, people also ascribe ascribe meaning, form, and durationmeaning, form, and duration to their past to their past experiences. experiences.

Symbolizing CapabilitySymbolizing Capability

Forethought CapabilityForethought Capability• SCT postulates that people do not only react to their SCT postulates that people do not only react to their

environments, but they also environments, but they also self-regulateself-regulate their their behaviorsbehaviors by forethought. by forethought.

• People People plan courses of actionplan courses of action for the near future, for the near future, anticipate the likely consequencesanticipate the likely consequences of their future actions, of their future actions, and and set the goalsset the goals for themselves. for themselves.

• Thus, rather than learning proper behavioral responses Thus, rather than learning proper behavioral responses only by enacting behaviors and possibly suffering painful only by enacting behaviors and possibly suffering painful costs of missteps, costs of missteps, people usually test possible solutions people usually test possible solutions cognitively firstcognitively first, and then eliminate or accept them on , and then eliminate or accept them on the basis of perceived outcomes before engaging into the basis of perceived outcomes before engaging into action.action.

• Thus, through forethought, people Thus, through forethought, people initiate and guide their initiate and guide their actions in an anticipatory fashionactions in an anticipatory fashion. In other words, the . In other words, the future acquires causal properties by being represented future acquires causal properties by being represented cognitively by forethought exercised in the present.cognitively by forethought exercised in the present.

Vicarious Learning CapabilityVicarious Learning Capability

•According to SCT, almost all forms of learning can occur According to SCT, almost all forms of learning can occur vicariously by vicariously by observing the behavior of others and subsequent observing the behavior of others and subsequent consequencesconsequences of their behaviors. of their behaviors.

•The human capacity to learn by observation enables people to The human capacity to learn by observation enables people to obtain and accumulate rules for initiating and controlling obtain and accumulate rules for initiating and controlling different behavioral patterns different behavioral patterns without having to acquire them without having to acquire them gradually by risky trial and errorgradually by risky trial and error. .

•The acquisition of knowledge vicariously is The acquisition of knowledge vicariously is critical for both critical for both learning and human performancelearning and human performance. Since behavioral trials and . Since behavioral trials and errors can (and often do) result in errors can (and often do) result in costly consequencescostly consequences, , chances for effective performance would be seriously chances for effective performance would be seriously diminished if employees were able to learn only from the diminished if employees were able to learn only from the consequences of their actions. consequences of their actions.

•The more The more complex the actioncomplex the action, and the more costly and , and the more costly and hazardous the possible mistakes, the stronger must be the hazardous the possible mistakes, the stronger must be the reliance on vicarious learning from competent models.reliance on vicarious learning from competent models.

Self-Regulatory CapabilitySelf-Regulatory Capability

• Much of human behavior is initiated and regulated by Much of human behavior is initiated and regulated by internal self-set standardsinternal self-set standards, and , and self-evaluative reactions self-evaluative reactions to exerted behaviorsto exerted behaviors. .

• After personal standards have been set, After personal standards have been set, incongruity incongruity between behavior and the standardbetween behavior and the standard against which it is against which it is measured, activate self-evaluative reactions, which, in measured, activate self-evaluative reactions, which, in turn, serve to further influence subsequent action. turn, serve to further influence subsequent action.

• Even if there is no incongruity between self standards Even if there is no incongruity between self standards and present performance, people may set higher and present performance, people may set higher standards for themselves and activate future behaviors standards for themselves and activate future behaviors to satisfy the new standards. to satisfy the new standards.

Self-Reflective CapabilitySelf-Reflective Capability

• The self-reflective capability can be defined as The self-reflective capability can be defined as human self-human self-reflective consciousnessreflective consciousness. .

• Self-reflective consciousness Self-reflective consciousness enables people to think and enables people to think and analyze their experiences and thought processesanalyze their experiences and thought processes. .

• By By reflecting on their different personal experiencesreflecting on their different personal experiences, people , people can generate specific knowledge about their environment and can generate specific knowledge about their environment and about themselves. about themselves.

• Among the types of knowledge that people can derive from Among the types of knowledge that people can derive from

self-reflection, importantly, self-reflection, importantly, none is more centralnone is more central to human to human

agencyagency than people's judgment of their capabilities to deal than people's judgment of their capabilities to deal

effectively with different environmental realities. effectively with different environmental realities.

• These types of perceptions are referred to asThese types of perceptions are referred to as self-efficacy self-efficacy beliefs.beliefs.