Social Cognitive Theory Flashcards

Social Cognitive Theory

• Developed by Albert Bandura in the 1960s, emphasizing the role of social context in learning.
• Involves a dynamic interaction between the individual, their environment, and behavior.
• Focuses on how individuals acquire and maintain behaviors, considering social influences.
• Aims to explain self-regulation of behavior through control and reinforcement, leading to sustained goal-directed actions.

Reciprocal Determinism

• Central concept in Social Cognitive Theory.
• Describes the mutual influence of personal factors, environmental conditions, and behavior.

Behavioral Capability

• Indicates the necessity of knowledge and skills to perform a behavior.
• Successful behavior execution requires understanding what to do and how to do it.

Observational Learning

• People can learn by observing the behaviors of others and imitating them.
• Often referred to as "modeling," it highlights the importance of role models in the learning process.

Reinforcements

• Represents responses, either internal or external, to behaviors that influence continuation or cessation of those behaviors.
• Can be categorized as positive (encouraging) or negative (discouraging).

Expectations

• Involves anticipation of consequences resulting from a person's behavior.
• Can encompass both health-related and non-health-related outcomes.
• The expected consequences play a crucial role in motivating behavior execution.

Self-Efficacy

• Reflects an individual’s confidence in their ability to successfully perform a specific behavior.
• Influenced by personal capabilities, individual characteristics, and environmental conditions.

Observational Learning Specifics

• Learning is contingent on access to information and perceived value:
  • Attention: Focus on valuable and accessible information.
  • Retention: The ability to store knowledge, influenced by intellectual capacity.
  • Production: Ability to exhibit learned behaviors, often dependent on available role models.
  • Motivation: Driven by self-efficacy; personal stories can enhance motivation and drive behavior imitation.