Study Notes on Social Cognitive Theory

Theory Essence: Behavior, personal factors, and environmental factors interact; changing one affects all. This concept is known as Reciprocal Determinism.

Social Cognitive Theory: Explains individual behavior through the interaction of:
- Behavioral
- Cognitive
- Social-environmental

Self-efficacy: Belief in one's ability to perform a task;
- "I think I can" attitude influences attempts.
Observational Learning: Learning by observing others;
- Influenced by model's attractiveness, context, motivation, relevance, and behavior complexity.
Expectations: Anticipated outcomes from behavior;
- Influenced by past experiences and emotional responses.
Expectancies: Value/outlook placed on outcomes (positive/negative/costs).
Behavioral Capability: Knowledge and skills required to perform a behavior.
Reinforcement: Use of rewards and punishments to promote behavior:
- Positive reinforcements encourage repeated behavior; negative consequences are less effective.
Locus of Control: Perception of control over events:
- Internal Locus: Belief in personal control;
- External Locus: Belief in control by external forces.
Self-Regulation: Ability to monitor and manage emotions and behaviors positively.

Discussion on Bullying: Analyze personal experiences;
- Identify characteristics of bullies.
- Use SCT to explain bullying behavior and brainstorm prevention strategies.

Read: Swearer et al. (2014). Focus on bullying reduction through SCT principles.