*social cognitive theories

Definition: Reciprocal determinism is a concept central to social cognitive theory proposed by Albert Bandura. It posits that a person's behavior, personal characteristics, and environment all influence each other in a two-way causal loop.

Person > Behavior
- Personality characteristics, cognitive processes, and self-regulation skills influence a person's behavior.
- Example: A person with high self-efficacy (belief in their ability) is more likely to engage in challenging tasks and thus can strengthen their personal traits through successful experiences.
Behavior > Environment
- A person's actions affect their social and physical surroundings.
- Environmental feedback, including stimuli, reinforcement, or punishment, then influences future behavior.
- Example: Participation in a community event might lead to social reinforcement (approval from peers), enhancing the likelihood of repeated participation.
Environment & Person
- Environmental factors, such as social feedback and learning conditions, shape an individual’s personality and cognition.
- Individuals actively choose, interpret, and modify their environments based on personal traits.
- Example: A student with high achievement motivation may seek out academic challenges and supportive study environments, altering their educational experience.

Environment: The various stimuli and feedback mechanisms encountered in a person's social or physical surroundings, which can influence behavior and personality.
Person: Comprises personality characteristics, cognitive processes, and self-regulation skills, which together influence behavior.
Behavior: Observable actions influenced by both the person and the environment, as well as influencing them in return.

Expectancy: Our perception of the likelihood of a consequence occurring as a result of behavior.
Reinforcement Value: The degree to which we desire or dread the potential outcome associated with a behavior.
Joint Influence on Behavior: The combination of expectancy and reinforcement value determines the probability of a behavior occurring. For instance, if an individual expects a high likelihood of success from studying (high expectancy), and they value good grades highly (high reinforcement value), they are more likely to engage in study behavior.

Locus of Control: A psychological concept that refers to individuals' beliefs about the extent to which they can control events affecting them.

Internal Locus of Control
- Definition: Individuals with an internal locus of control believe that life outcomes are primarily dependent on their own actions and decisions.
- Implications: Higher levels of drive to achieve and accountability for life circumstances.
External Locus of Control
- Definition: Individuals with an external locus of control believe that their fates are largely determined by external forces, such as chance or powerful others.
- Implications: Higher likeliness of feeling powerless and attributing success or failure to factors outside of personal control.

Entitlement: A belief that one deserves more rewards, recognition, or status than others.
- Research Method: Surveys measuring locus of control, entitlement, self-monitoring, and demographic variables.
- Findings:
- Positive correlation between entitlement and external locus of control; individuals with a sense of entitlement are more likely to attribute their outcomes to external factors.
- Negative correlation between entitlement and internal locus of control; those with an internal locus of control tend to feel less entitled.

Associated with:
- Greater academic success and self-determined behavior.
- More independence.
- Engagement in health-promoting behaviors.
- Better coping strategies.
- Lower likelihood of experiencing depression and anxiety.
Generalized Expectancy: Locus of control is considered a generalized expectancy, as it applies across many life domains, influencing various aspects of an individual's life.