Social Cognitive Theories

Human agency

The capacity to exercise control over the nature and quality of one’s life

Reciprocal determinism

The idea that one variable can influence another variable and vice versa/ A bidirectional relationship between variables

Person Factors

Internal cognitive processes such as cognition, emotions, and biology as these contribute to our internal states. They determine how we process and interact with information

Behavioural Factors

These influence our person factors and influence our environment. They allow us to reflect on behaviour and plan new behaviour in specific environments

Environmental Factors

Aspects of a situation that influence our personal factors

Intention

A representation of a future course of action and a commitment to bringing it about

Forethought

Setting goals based on possible consequences of our actions

Motivators

We do behaviours that we think will be good for us

Regulators

We evaluate ongoing actions based on whether they are helping achieve desired outcomes

Self-regulation

A cluster of processes which determine how we control out actions

Self-guidance

Deciding what goal/behaviours to do

Self-monitoring

Assessing ongoing behaviour

Self-correction

Ensuring we stay on track toward wanted outcomes by changing behaviour

Self-reflection (Meta-cognition)

Reflection on ourselves, adequacy of our thoughts, emotions and behaviours

Self-efficacy

Confidence in the belief that you have the ability to control your environment

Behaviours of those with high self-efficacy

Take on challenges, expend effort, persevere, optimistic, failures motivate them

General self-efficacy

An overarching personality dimension

Domain-specific self-efficacy

Behaviour specific

Sources of self-efficacy

Mastery experiences, social modelling, social persuasion, emotional responses

Expectancy value theory

The likelihood of a person performing a behaviour is determined by the expectation that a particular outcome will be present and the desirability of this outcome to be present

General expectancies

The level at which you believe your behaviour will bring about outcomes

Specific expectancies

The level at which behaviours in certain situations will bring desired outcomes

Internal Locus of Control

General expectation that our behaviours will bring about outcomes

External Locus of Control

General expectation that our behaviours will not bring about outcomes

Internalist

Feel in control and empowered to change things in their environment

Externalists

Feel powerless and helpless therefore not encouraged to make changes

Fixed Mindset

Intelligence is set in stone, and nothing can be done to improve it. Tasks revealing this intelligence are seen as threatening as they can be seen as deficiencies. Also, the exertion of effort on these tasks indicates a sign of low ability

Growth Mindset

Intelligence can be improved, exertion of effort is valued as a way of improving. With setbacks being seen as feedback on how to improve

Evaluation of social cognitive theories

Allows for agency (free will)
Combines environmental and cognitive influences
Empirical research
Testable concepts
Uses self-report (inaccurate)