Social Cognitive Theory: Key Concepts and Applications in Psychology

Social Cognitive Theory differences

Emphasizes cognitive processes, goals, and social learning rather than traits or unconscious forces

View of the person (SCT)

People are active, goal-directed, self-reflective, and capable of self-regulation

Main tenets of Social Cognitive Theory

Behavior results from cognitive processes, observational learning, and reciprocal person-environment-behavior interactions

Beliefs (SCT structure)

Cognitive ideas about oneself and others that guide behavior

Goals (SCT structure)

Personal aims that direct motivation and behavior

Evaluative standards (SCT structure)

Internal rules used to judge behavior and generate pride or guilt

Competencies and skills

Abilities and knowledge that influence possible behaviors

Expectancies

Beliefs about likely outcomes that shape choices and motivation

Performance goals

Aimed at proving ability and gaining positive evaluation

Learning goals

Aimed at improving ability and building mastery

Entity theory

Belief that abilities are fixed and unchangeable

Incremental theory

Belief that abilities can grow with learning and effort

Evaluative standards & reactions

Judging behavior using personal standards to produce pride or guilt

Self-discrepancies

Mismatch between actual self and ideal or ought self

Ideal self

Who you want to be based on hopes and aspirations

Ought self

Who you feel obligated to be based on duties

Promotion focus

Motivation driven by growth, gains, and achieving ideals

Prevention focus

Motivation driven by avoiding failures and fulfilling obligations

Motivation and self-regulation

Using goals and standards to guide behavior

Self-efficacy

Belief in one's ability to perform a task successfully

Self-efficacy influences

Impacts effort, persistence, emotional reactions, and performance

Bobo doll experiment

Study showing children imitate adult aggression through observational learning

Criticisms of Bobo doll

Artificial setting, ethics issues, short-term results

Observational learning

Learning by watching the behavior of others

Marshmallow test

Test of delayed gratification in children

Delayed gratification

Ability to resist immediate rewards for long-term gains

CAPS model

Personality arises from interactions of cognitive and emotional processes in specific situations

Reciprocal determinism

Person, environment, and behavior influence each other

Schemas

Mental structures for organizing and interpreting information

Self-schemas

Beliefs about the self that guide interpretation and motivation

Self-verification

Seeking confirmation of existing self-beliefs

Self-enhancement

Seeking positive feedback to maintain self-esteem

Working self-concept

The part of the self active at a given moment

Growth mindset

Belief that abilities can be developed over time

Limitations of Social Cognitive Theory

Underemphasizes biology and overemphasizes cognition

KAPA model

Combines stable knowledge structures with flexible appraisals to improve SCT

SCT view of psychopathology

Problems arise from distorted beliefs, low self-efficacy, and maladaptive standards

Clinical applications of SCT

Includes CBT, REBT, and correcting cognitive distortions

Main tenets of trait theory

Traits are biological, consistent, predictive, and hierarchical

Biological basis of traits

Traits have genetic or physiological foundations

Broad predispositions

Traits create general behavioral tendencies

Hierarchical organization of traits

Traits are structured from broad to narrow levels

Stability of traits

Traits stay stable but can change after major life events

Scientific method in trait research

Systematic observation and hypothesis testing

Valid measures

Accurate and reliable assessments of traits

Factor analysis

Statistical method to identify clusters of related traits

Consistent and distinctive behavior

Traits create stable patterns that vary between individuals

Describe predict explain

What strong trait theories must do

Credible trait theory

Universal, predictive, measurable, and scientifically supported

Cardinal traits

Highly dominant traits that define a person

Central traits

Core building-block traits of personality

Secondary traits

Situational or preference-based traits

Factor-analytic theory (Cattell)

Used statistics to identify basic underlying traits

Surface traits

Observable personality tendencies

Source traits

Deeper traits that produce surface traits

Three types of source traits

Ability traits, temperament traits, dynamic traits

Eysenck's three-factor model

Personality defined by extraversion neuroticism and psychoticism

Openness (Big Five)

High: creative and curious; Low: practical and prefers routine

Conscientiousness (Big Five)

High: organized and disciplined; Low: spontaneous and careless

Extraversion (Big Five)

High: outgoing; Low: quiet and reserved

Agreeableness (Big Five)

High: cooperative; Low: competitive or skeptical

Neuroticism (Big Five)

High: anxious; Low: calm and stable

Applications of Big Five

Used for job fit, health prediction, and clinical assessment

McCrae and Costa view of traits

Traits are biologically based and stable with little environmental influence

Lexical hypothesis

Important traits become encoded in language over time

NEO-PI-R

Personality test measuring Big Five and facet traits

HEXACO model

Big Five plus Honesty-Humility

Cross-cultural issues with Big Five

Traits may not translate well and meanings can differ

BAS (Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory)

Reward-sensitive approach system

BIS (Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory)

Anxiety-related inhibition system

FFFS (Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory)

Fear-based fight-flight-freeze system

Top-down approach (RST)

Start with theory and test using data

Bottom-up approach (RST)

Build theory based on data patterns