7.1 Bandura
Bandura: Social Cognitive Theory
Overview of Social Cognitive Theory
Central human characteristic: Plasticity
Humans have flexibility to learn diverse behaviors in various situations.
Emphasis on vicarious learning:
Learning by observing others.
Reinforcement can be vicarious; individuals can be reinforced by witnessing another receive a reward.
Triadic reciprocal causation model:
Interactions of behavioral, environmental, and personal factors.
Agency and Self-Regulation
Agentic Perspectives: (Agentic refers to the capacity of individuals to act independently and make their own choices)
Self-efficacy: Belief in one’s ability to perform effectively.
Example: A student confidently prepares for an exam after successfully tackling similar problems before.
Proxy agency: Relying on others for control over social conditions.
Example: An employee relies on their manager for guidance to improve job performance.
Collective agency: Group belief in achieving desired outcomes.
Example: A sports team believes in their ability to win the championship, motivating them to practice hard together.
People regulating conduct through:
Internal factors: Personal evaluations influence behavior.
Example: A person decides against cheating on an exam based on their values.
External factors: Environmental influences dictate behavior.
Example: A company enforces policies to ensure ethical conduct among employees.
Moral agency in ambiguous situations: Acting according to moral standards despite potential backlash.
Example: A nurse advocates for a patient despite disapproval from colleagues.
Biography of Albert Bandura
Born in Alberta, Canada in 1925.
Only boy in a family of five sisters, encouraged to be self-reliant.
Learned independence in a scarce resource environment.
Pursued psychology accidentally; completed his PhD at the University of Iowa in 1951.
Notable publications include Adolescent Aggression (1959).
Served as president of the American Psychological Association in 1974.
Professor at Stanford University for over 50 years; continued to explore concepts from social cognitive theory.
Learning: Observational and Enactive
Observational Learning
Definition: Learning without direct behavior performance.
Modeling: Involves representing information symbolically for future use.
Determined by:
Characteristics of the model.
Characteristics of the observer.
Outcomes of the modeled behavior.
Processes Governing Observational Learning
Attention: The focus given to the model and the behavior being exhibited.
Example: A student pays close attention to a classmate who explains a challenging math problem, noting their methods and techniques.
Representation: The encoding of behaviors symbolically for memory, allowing the observer to remember and replicate them later.
Example: A child watches a cooking show and mentally represents the steps to make a new recipe, even sketching notes or diagrams to remember the process.
Behavioral Production: The act of converting observed behaviors into action, which often involves self-questioning and reflecting on what was observed.
Example: After watching a basketball player perform a slam dunk, a teenager practices the move in their driveway, asking themselves questions about their technique and how to improve.
Motivation: The driving force that influences the effectiveness of observational learning, often based on the perceived rewards or outcomes associated with the observed behavior.
Example: A young athlete is motivated to practice baseball after watching their idol hit a home run in a game.
Enactive Learning
Learning through direct experiences and evaluating consequences of actions.
Guides future behavior based on learned consequences.
Triadic Reciprocal Determinism
Interaction among three variables:
Person: Includes gender, social position, cognitive factors.
Behavior: Previous reinforcement experiences.
Environment: Interpersonal relations and socioeconomic conditions.
These factors interact reciprocally, influencing outcomes variably.
Chance Encounters vs. Fortuitous Events
Chance Encounters: Typically refer to unexpected meetings or interactions with individuals that could lead to new connections, opportunities, or insights. They often occur without any planning or forethought.
Example: Meeting someone at a party who works in a company you're interested in enables you to learn more about potential job opportunities.
Fortuitous Events: These are more broadly defined as unexpected occurrences that result in positive outcomes or opportunities, which can include a wide range of situations beyond personal interactions.
Example: Winning a scholarship that you didn't actively apply for due to a recommendation from a professor who noticed your work.
Human Agency in Social Cognitive Theory
Definition: Capacity to control one's life and influence outcomes.
Core features of human agency:
Intentionality: Deliberate actions and adjustments based on actions' consequences.
Forethought: Setting goals and predicting outcomes.
Self-reactiveness: Monitoring progress toward goals.
Self-reflectiveness: Evaluating motivations and the significance of goals.
Self-Efficacy
Definition: Belief in one’s ability to control personal functioning and environmental events.
Distinction between Efficacy Expectations vs. Outcome Expectations:
Efficacy Expectations: This refers to an individual's confidence in their ability to perform a specific task or behavior effectively. Example: a student might feel confident they can write an excellent research paper based on their prior experience with writing.
Outcome Expectations: This involves an individual's predictions or beliefs about the consequences that will result from performing a specific behavior.
Example: a student might believe that if they study hard, they will achieve a high grade.
In summary, efficacy expectations focus on the belief in one's capability, while outcome expectations relate to anticipated results from actions.
Factors contributing to self-efficacy:
Mastery experiences, social modeling, social persuasion, emotional state.These factors collectively influence an individual’s motivation and persistence in pursuing goals, as well as their resilience when faced with challenges.
Self-Regulation
High self-efficacy leads to better self-regulation through reactive and proactive strategies.
External Factors: Establish behavioral standards shaped by the environment.
Internal Factors:
Self-Observation: Monitoring performance.
Judgmental Processes: Evaluating actions against personal goals.
Self-Reaction: Positive or negative responses based on personal standards.
Self-Regulation through Moral Agency
Regulating actions according to moral standards:
Components of moral agency include not harming others and actively helping.
Concept of disengagement to justify immoral actions.
Dysfunctional Behavior
Depression
Definition: A mental state characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a lack of interest or pleasure in previously enjoyed activities.
Example: A student achieves a good grade on a test but perceives it as not good enough, leading to feelings of failure and inadequacy.
Phobias
Definition: Extreme or irrational fears developed through direct contact, inappropriate generalization, or observational experiences.
Example: A child develops a fear of dogs after being bitten, even if they have seen friendly dogs.
Therapy
Social cognitive therapy aims for self-regulation:
Instigating behavioral change through modeling.
Generalizing behavioral changes to other situations.
Maintaining changes through mastery and preventing relapse.
Related Research
Self-Efficacy and Terrorism: Personal security concerns impact self-efficacy and coping.
Self-Efficacy and Diabetes: Higher self-efficacy linked to better health management and reduced symptoms.
Global Applications of Social Cognitive Theory: Use of media for social change in various cultural contexts.
Critique of Bandura's Theory
High research generation, internal consistency, parsimony, falsifiability, and practical applications.
Concept of Humanity
Emphasizes free choice, optimism, teleology, consciousness, social influences, and individual uniqueness.
Reflection Prompts
Reflect on your current behaviors in relation to Bandura’s Reciprocal Causation.
Consider how the two aspects of Moral Agency affect your life and related habitual behaviors.