Social Cognitive Theory

1. Social Cognitive Theory Terry Falcomata Jason Stricker

2. Historical Perspective • Dewey (1899) - 1 • Hull - 2 • Dollard and Miller (1950) • Sears (Iowa – Bandura) • Skinner • Rotter - 4 • Bandura • Mischel - 5 • Cervone - 6

3. Social Learning Theory • Social Learning Theory—3 Tenets • Consequences influence behavior • Humans can learn by observing others • Individuals are more likely to model behavior observed in people they identify with.

4. Definition of Social Cognitive Theory • A family of interrelated theories that: • Address the role of socially acquired beliefs and skills in personality functioning • Personality is construed as a complex system of cognitive and affective processes • An extension of social learning theory, coined by Bandura placing more emphasis on cognitive concepts.

5. Definition of Social Cognitive Theory Cont. • Dispositions (behavior) • Surface level tendencies are explained by reference to an underlying system of psych. Processes. • Understood as emergent properties of underlying cognitive and affective system

6. Human Nature • Human behavior viewed as a triadic, dynamic, and reciprocal interaction of personal factors, behavior, and the environment. • Humans are viewed as an organized system of multiple processes (cognitions and emotions) mutually influencing one another. • Humans have endowed plasticity. Plasticity dependent on specialized neurophysiological structures that have evolved over time (Bandura, 1999). • Patterns of human behavior organized by individual experience, rather than being provided ready made by inborn programming.

7. Triadic Reciprocal Causation ENVIRONMENT COGNITIVE PROCESSING BEHAVIOR

8. Human Capabilities • Symbolizing • Utilize visual experiences and cognitive models • Forethought • Plan actions and anticipate consequences of actions

9. Human Capabilities • Observational • Learn by observing the performance of referent and credible peers • Self-regulatory • Set internal standards and evaluate the discrepancies between the standard and performance (self-control) • Self-Reflective • Reflect on performance, and predict likelihood of future success given the context (self-efficacy)

10. Self-Efficacy • Humans’ confidence in the ability to mobilize the motivation, cognitive resources, and course of action to successfully execute a specific task in a given context. • Expectations about success determine the need for coping behaviors related to the amount of effort required to complete the task.

11. Dimensions of Self-Efficacy • Magnitude • The belief that one can successfully complete a task at a given level difficulty and complexity • Strength • The level of certainty with which an individual believes the task will be successfully performed given the magnitude of self-efficacy • Generality • The belief that similar strategies will be effective in similar contextual arrangements

12. Choice vs. Determinism • Triadic Reciprocal Causation • Internal factors such as: cognitive, affective, biological events, behavioral patterns, and environmental events operate as interacting determinants that operate on one another bi-directionally • Environment may not be able to be controlled but, have leeway in how they construe it and react to it. (Bandura, 1997a)

13. Triadic Reciprocal Causation ENVIRONMENT COGNITIVE PROCESSING BEHAVIOR

14. Definition of Personality Interconnected system of beliefs, aims, and capabilities They develop and function in reciprocal interaction with environment Give rise to coherent patterns of conduct and experience that distinguish individuals From each other Patterns include: Average tendencies and variability in action across contexts Common patterns of coherence and unique tendencies that chara. Idiosyncratic individuals

15. Theory of Personality • Reciprocal Determinism • Individual and social setting interact in a reciprocal system • Personality viewed as a complex social system • Individual and social-cultural interactions produce patterns of behavior • Transactions are unit of measurement • Interactions between an individuals’ emotions, cognitions, and the environment

16. Healthy Personality • Healthy personality develops through high self-efficacy (i.e., confidence to use resources to achieve goals). • Goals are generated during contextual experience. • Healthy personalities are able to process information. • Information is then used to achieve goals. • Adaptiveness is in goal setting and achieving. • Setting goals creates incentives that motivate and guide behavior. • Standards for behavior are set, behaviors are evaluated against standards, strategic choices are made based on situation specific goal achievement.

17. Unhealthy Personality • Maladaptiveness can only be examined through a study of the interaction between the person and situations. • Dysfunction only manifests with the behavior in terms of the social context within which it occurs • Indicate a lack of ability to adapt to various and specific situations

18. Unhealthy Personality cont. • Efforts to understand adjustment difficulties are better studied within a context of behavioral, cog., or emotional responding rather than underlying mental illness • Psychological dysfunction consists of behavioral, cognitive, and affective responses that are ineffective and inefficient. • Behavior, cognition, and emotion, are interactive. One problem in one will result in problems in others, and change in one will result in change in others.

19. Assessment of Personality • Self-Efficacy Scales • The Big Five Questionnaire (BFQ) • Locus of Control Scales • e.g., Multidimensional Locus of Control Scale • Expectancy Scales • Probability that a particular behavior will lead to a particular reinforcer

20. Guidelines for Intervention • Cognitive Behavior Therapy • Observational Learning • Resource/Risk Communication • Behavioral Skills Training

21. Assets • Emphasize Research • Observational learning (Bandura) • Integrate theories of motivation and cognition • Focuses on uniquely human behaviors • Theory is flexible (allows for integration of contemporary issues) • Addition of cognitive aspect to classic learning theory has made it applicable to humans • Theory has led to behavior therapy techniques • Includes situational factors in the analysis of human behavior

22. Limitations • Doesn’t account for developmental change • Loose collection of constructs that are not comprehensively organized (self-efficacy, observational learning, self-regulation) • Reconceptualizing the work of others (nothing new)

23. Case Study • Graduate Student---”John” • Goes to the health clinic because he is experiencing insomnia and panic attacks around finals • Self-efficacy scale reveals high desire for success and low expectation of goal achievement • Locus of control measures reveal external and uncontrollable attributions for performance • His distress about academic failure has led to concerns about disappointing his family

24. Case Study-Intervention • Cognitive Behavior Therapy examining irrational beliefs and cognitive distortions • Resource Communication (academic accommodations, tutors, etc.)