Psychologist Albert Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory posits a dynamic interrelationship between an individual's personality, environment and behavior. This relationship is known as reciprocal determinism and says that people are both products and producers of their environment. In addition, Social Cognitive Theory posits that people learn primarily by observing behavior and developing expectations about the outcomes of such behavior, and that through a process of self-regulation and self-constraint, they can modify their behavior through self-efficacy.
Reasonable yet Dynamic Viewpoint
Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes the dynamic composition of individuals and does not simply claim are either completely self-contained rational subjects, completely determined by personal factors or simple products of their conditioning or environment. Rather, Social Cognitive Theory paves a reasonable common ground, focusing instead on the interrelationship of these factors.
Applicable Concepts
Concepts such as self-efficacy, observational learning and reciprocal determinism are easily applicable to real-world implementation. For instance, if a person is counseling people on their antisocial behavior patterns, the concept of self-efficacy provides a means for them to reflect on themselves and self-regulate the negative aspects of their behavior.
Easily Universalized
Because Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes the role that observation and environments have in learned behavior, it easily allows for cross-cultural analysis. It makes no judgments about morality or values but instead seeks to understand how certain moral codes, behaviors and values are learned and provide a framework for understanding how certain kinds of behavior may be more acceptable in certain situations or cultures than others.
Cross-Disciplinary Potential
Social Cognitive Theory has implications for fields spanning across the social sciences and mental health services. It can be applied in academic fields such as anthropology, sociology and psychology. In addition, the theory provides key insights for those working in fields such as clinical psychology, social work or occupational therapy.
Evolving Theory
Social Cognitive Theory grew out of Social Learning Theory in 1962, which relied heavily on behaviorist models of positive or negative reinforcement to explain learning patterns. Since then, it has been continually changing according to new information and experimentation and has been associated with a variety of other prominent theorists such as Walter Mischel.
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