Albert Bandura: Social Cognitive Theory

Social Cognitive Theory (Albert Bandura)

A theory that emphasizes the importance of observational learning, vicarious reinforcement, and personal agency, while recognizing the influence of chance events and social contexts on human behavior.

Plasticity

The human capacity to learn a wide range of behaviors in various situations;

a central assumption in social cognitive theory.

Vicarious Learning

Learning that occurs by observing others rather than through direct experience; individuals can also be vicariously reinforced by seeing others rewarded.

Triadic Reciprocal Causation

A model in social cognitive theory where behavior, environmental factors, and personal factors (like cognition and emotion) all influence each other bidirectionally.

Chance Encounters and Fortuitous Events

Unexpected meetings or events that may influence life paths; their impact depends on how individuals react to them, not merely on the events themselves

Agentic Perspective

The belief that individuals can exercise control over their lives; people are both producers and products of social systems.

Self-Efficacy

The belief in one’s ability to execute behaviors necessary to produce specific outcomes; higher self-efficacy enhances performance.

Proxy Agency

The reliance on others to act on one’s behalf to secure desired outcomes or resources.

Collective Efficacy

The shared belief among group members in their joint ability to effect change and achieve goals.

Regulation of Conduct

People control their behavior through both external factors (physical/social environment) and internal factors (self-observation, judgmental process, and self-reaction)

Moral Agency

The self-regulation of behavior in morally ambiguous situations through mechanisms such as redefining behavior, minimizing consequences, dehumanizing victims, and displacing or diffusing responsibility

Learning (in Social Cognitive Theory)

The flexible human capacity to acquire a variety of attitudes, skills, and behaviors, largely through vicarious experiences—observing others rather than through direct action.

Observational Learning

Learning that occurs through observing the behavior of others, without needing to perform any behavior oneself; reinforcement is not necessary but can enhance learning.

Modeling

The core mechanism of observational learning, involving cognitive processes such as adding, subtracting, generalizing, symbolically representing, and storing observed behaviors for future use.

Factors Influencing Modeling

1. Model Characteristics: High-status, competent, or powerful individuals are more likely to be modeled.

2. Observer Characteristics: Individuals who lack status, skill, or power (e.g., children or novices) are more likely to model.

3. Consequences of Behavior: Observers are more likely to adopt behaviors that appear to have valuable outcomes or avoid those that result in punishment.

Attention (Process of Observational Learning)

The 1st step in observational learning; influenced by familiarity, attractiveness of the model, and perceived importance or value of the behavior being modeled.

Representation (Process of Observational Learning)

The symbolic retention of observed behavior in memory, which can be in imagery or verbal form; allows for rehearsal and later performance even in the absence of the model.

Verbal Coding

The use of language to symbolically rehearse and evaluate behaviors, which accelerates the observational learning process and aids in retention.

Behavioral Production (Process of Observational Learning)

The process of converting observed behaviors into actual performance

involving self-questioning like “How can I do this?”, “What am I doing?”, and “Am I doing this right?” to guide execution

Motivation (Process of Observational Learning)

The final step in observational learning; determines whether the observed and retained behavior will actually be performed.

Without motivation, even well-learned behaviors may not be enacted.

Enactive Learning

Learning that occurs through direct experience, where individuals perform a behavior and evaluate the consequences cognitively to guide future behavior.

3 Functions of Response Consequences

1. Informative: Help individuals understand the effects of their actions.

2. Motivational: Enable people to anticipate future outcomes and act accordingly.

3. Reinforcing: Strengthen behavior through outcomes, especially when cognitively processed.

Cognitive Representation of Outcomes

The mental process of anticipating and symbolizing future consequences of actions, allowing behavior to be guided by foresight rather than just trial-and-error.

Reciprocal Determinism

Bandura’s concept that learning and behavior are shaped through a continuous interaction among personal factors, behavior, and environmental influences

Triadic Reciprocal Causation

A system proposed by Bandura where human functioning results from the interaction of 3 factors:

• Behavior (B)

• Environment (E)

• Person (P), especially cognitive processes like memory, judgment, and planning.

Person Variables (in Triadic Causation)

Cognitive factors such as memory, judgment, foresight, and personal characteristics (e.g., gender, social status, attractiveness) that influence and are influenced by behavior and environment.

Reciprocal (in Bandura's context)

Refers to the mutual influence among behavior, environment, and personal factors—not equal or opposite reactions, but dynamic and context-dependent interactions.

Fortuitous Event

An unexpected, unintended environmental experience that can impact life choices, behaviors, or career paths.

Bandura's View on Fortuity

Bandura believes that while people cannot control all chance events, they can shape how such events affect their lives by being cognitively prepared and proactive.

"Chance Favors the Prepared Mind"

A quote Bandura used to emphasize that individuals can influence the impact of chance events through preparation and proactive behavior.

Human Agency (Bandura’s Theory)

Capacity for people to actively control, influence, and shape their own actions and lives, rather than being passive or automatic reactors.

4 Core Features of Human Agency

• Intentionality

• Forethought

• Self-reactiveness

• Self-reflectiveness

Intentionality

Refers to acts a person performs intentionally. An intention includes planning and actions. “It is not simply an expectation or prediction of future actions but a proactive commitment to bringing them about.”

Forethought

The ability to set goals, anticipate likely outcomes of actions, and select behaviors that produce desired outcomes and avoid undesirable ones.

Self-Reactiveness

The capability of motivating and regulating one’s own actions.

People make choices and monitor their progress toward fulfilling those choices.

Self-Reflectiveness

The capacity to examine one’s own functioning, evaluate motivations, values, and life goals, and assess the adequacy of one’s own thinking.

Role of Self-Efficacy in Triadic Reciprocal Causation

In the triadic model (person, behavior, environment), self-efficacy represents the personal (P) factor influencing action.

Bandura’s Definition of Self-Efficacy (2001)

“People’s beliefs in their capability to exercise some measure of control over their own functioning and over environmental events.”

Efficacy Expectations

It refer to belief in one’s ability to perform a behavior

Outcome Expectations

It refer to predicted consequences of that behavior.

Example of Efficacy vs. Outcome Expectation

A person may feel confident in their interview skills (high efficacy) but still believe they won’t get hired due to external factors (low outcome expectation).

What Self-Efficacy Is Not

It is not basic motor skills, absence of fear/stress, or general self-esteem. It is a context-specific belief about capability.

Variability of Self-Efficacy

It differs by situation and depends on task demands, social context, focus on success/failure, and physical/emotional states.

High Efficacy + Responsive Environment

Most likely to produce successful outcomes

Low Efficacy + Responsive Environment

May lead to depression when others succeed at tasks that seem too difficult

High Efficacy + Unresponsive Environment

Leads to intensified efforts to change the environment or seek a new one.

Low Efficacy + Unresponsive Environment

Results in apathy, resignation, and helplessness

Sources of Self-Efficacy

• Mastery experiences

• Social modeling

• Social persuasion

• Physical/emotional states

Mastery Experiences

Past performances; success raises efficacy, failure lowers it—especially when the task is difficult, done independently, and effort is maximal.

Corollary 1 of Mastery

Success on difficult tasks boosts self-efficacy more than success on easy ones.

Corollary 2 of Mastery

Independent achievements build more self-efficacy than achievements with help.

Corollary 3 of Mastery

Failure after trying hard decreases efficacy more than failing with low effort.

Corollary 4 of Mastery

Failure during high emotional arousal is less damaging than failure under calm conditions.

Corollary 5 of Mastery

Early failure is more harmful than failure after mastery has been established

Corollary 6 of Mastery

Occasional failure has little effect, especially in people with high general efficacy.

Social Modeling

Observing others' success or failure affects self-efficacy, especially if the model is similar in ability.

Social Persuasion

Verbal encouragement or discouragement from credible sources can affect efficacy—limited effect alone but stronger when paired with success.

Proxy Agency

Exercising control indirectly by relying on others to act on one's behalf in areas outside one’s personal expertise or resources.

Self-Regulation

The process by which individuals control their behavior through internal standards and feedback, supported by efficacy beliefs and environmental influences.

Reactive Self-Regulation

Adjusting behavior to reduce the gap between current performance and desired goals.

Proactive Self-Regulation

Setting new and higher goals after previous ones are achieved to create a motivating state of disequilibrium

Disequilibrium in Self-Regulation

A state of imbalance that drives motivation, where people strive toward challenging goals (similar to Allport’s idea that people seek tension as motivation).

Judgmental Process

The internal evaluation of one’s behavior using cognitive mediation, based on standards, comparisons, value of activities, and performance attribution.

Referential Performances

Comparing one’s current performance to past accomplishments, others' performances, or societal standards (e.g., test scores, rivals, or norms like par in golf).

Valuation of Activity

The importance a person assigns to a task; higher value leads to greater effort and concern for success in that activity

Moral Agency

The ability to regulate one’s behavior based on moral standards, including the commitment to do no harm and to help others.

Selective Activation

Moral standards influence behavior only when they are activated; moral beliefs alone do not guarantee moral behavior.

Disengagement of Internal Control

The process of cognitively justifying inhumane behavior, allowing individuals to act immorally while still believing they are moral.

Redefinition of Behavior

A technique of disengagement where behavior is cognitively reconstructed to appear acceptable or noble.

Moral Justification

Reframing harmful actions as serving a higher moral or noble cause

(e.g., killing in war justified as protecting freedom).

Advantageous Comparison

Making a harmful act seem less severe by comparing it to something worse

(e.g., "At least I didn’t destroy everything").

Euphemistic Labeling

Using sanitized or mild terms to disguise harmful behavior

(e.g., "collateral damage" for civilian deaths).

Disregard or Distortion of Consequences

A disengagement method where people downplay or avoid acknowledging the harm caused by their actions.

Distorting Consequences

Misrepresenting harm as beneficial

(e.g., physical punishment framed as necessary discipline).

Dehumanize or Blame the Victims

Obscuring responsibility by viewing victims as subhuman or blaming them for their suffering.

Displace Responsibility

Placing responsibility for one’s actions on an outside source to minimize personal accountability.

Diffuse Responsibility

Spreading responsibility across many people so no single person feels accountable

Depression in Judgmental Process

Setting unrealistically high standards and viewing accomplishments as failures.

Depression in Self-Reaction

Harsh self-criticism and self-punishment for perceived shortcomings.

Maintenance of Phobias

Avoidance of feared objects or situations reinforces and prolongs phobic behavior.

Aggression

Behavior acquired through observation, experience with reinforcement, training, or beliefs, which can become dysfunctional when extreme.

Ultimate Goal of Social Cognitive Therapy

Self-regulation

Overt or Vicarious Modeling

Observing live or filmed models performing threatening activities to reduce fear and anxiety.

Covert or Cognitive Modeling

Visualizing models performing fearsome behaviors, often combined with performance approaches.

Enactive Mastery

Performing previously fear-inducing behaviors to overcome incapacitating fears, usually after modeling and desensitization.

Systematic Desensitization

Gradual exposure to fearsome situations from least to most threatening while remaining relaxed.