Social Cognitive Theory and Self Regulation

self regulation (self management/self control)

process by which people manage their own goal directed behavior to achieve personal goals. applies operant conditioning. product of childhood development, psychological maturity, individual personality. goal directed: desire to improve/change behavior, awareness of goals, conflicting goals

self efficacy

internal/individual construct. how confident you are to perform behavior. build by gaining knowledge and practicing/building mastery

social cognitive theory

goal to explain how people regulate behavior. Albert Bandura. first called social learning theory. key principle vicarious learning, grew to include self efficacy and include reciprocal determinism.

behavioral capability

internal/individual construct. actual ability to do behavior. can you actually buckle your seatbelt?

expectations

internal/individual construct. outlook on things

expectancies

internal/individual construct. what value do you place on outcomes/expectations

self control

internal/individual construct. goal setting

emotional coping

internal/individual construct. being ale to handle emotions around behavior. if repercussions can you handle behavior?

vicarious learning

environmental/external construct. learning through others

situation

environmental/external construct. social and physical context

reinforcements

environmental/external construct. positive or negative responses

social norms

environmental/external construct.

reciprocal determinism

environment, behavior, and person. each influences the other

environment

part of reciprocal determinism. includes physical and social elements. provides context, opportunity, consequences and feedback

behavior

part of reciprocal determinism. generates environmental responses. goal directed. frequency depends on reinforcement. provides feedback from which learning occurs

person

part of reciprocal determinism. personality and cognitions

social influence

socially mediated expectations. social context influences behavior: norms, expectations and expectancies. processes: socialization and selection

socialization

social influence process. influence of others on one's behavior.

selection

social influence process. tendency to associate with others with similar behavior

critiques

theory very complex

can be viewed as less of a theory than a grab bag of constructs

gone through number of evolutions: as evolved retained earlier constructs, increases general complexity and decreases clarity as a theory