Albert Bandura was a prominent researcher who advanced a key behavioral theory that he later referred to as social cognitive theory, or SCT. The cornerstone of SCT is that people learn via observation (Denler et al., 2014, p. 1). Moreover, Bandura states that people’s personalities are not only molded or shaped by their environment, but people also affect their environment (Denler et al., 2014, p. 1). Thus, Bandura takes classical conditioning and operant conditioning one step further by asserting that there is a multi-faceted interaction between a person, their environment, and subsequent behaviors (Denler et al., 2014, p. 1). Bandura’s SCT is a comprehensive way to study personality development because the dynamics of reciprocity and self-efficacy play prominent roles in supporting the overall theory.
While Bandura’s SCT bears many similarities to other behavioral theories, it is far more advanced, in many respects. One of the hallmarks of Bandura’s SCT is that it takes into account more thoroughly certain cognitive processes, such as motivation, that affect observational learning (Denler et al., 2014, p. 1). This feature of SCT expands the narrow definitions offered by traditional schools of both classical and operant conditioning, which tend to emphasize a stricter relationship between environmental stimuli and subject response (Denler et al., 2014, p. 1). Thus, SCT is an extremely useful theory in the explanation of behavioral processes, especially learning.
Reciprocality is a key foundation of SCT. Simply put, reciprocality is one of SCT’s key assumptions – that behaviors are influenced (and influence) by both the environment, and cognitive processes (Denler et al., 2014, p. 1). Thus, this process is a dynamic one that ceaselessly moves in a give-and-take manner. Also key to this ongoing dynamic is that such a triad is that a student’s beliefs about one’s self play an important role in the classroom (Denler et al., 2014, p. 1). Hence, SCT stresses the role of the thinking processes of a given student, something quite different than more traditional schools of behaviorism (Denler et al., 2014, p. 1).
Another central tenet of SCT is self-efficacy. The notion of self-efficacy simply means that people have the ability to affect their surroundings in a manner that is directed toward the attainment of a prefigured goal (Denler et al., 2014, p. 1). Thus, a sort of feedback loop is established between a learner, and his environment. This loop serves to reinforce certain behaviors, and even motivate a learner to affect his environment in a self-determined manner. As the student becomes more advanced, his self-efficacy also increases (Denler et al., 2014, p. 3). Self-efficacy is largely a perceived phenomenon that has been manipulated through experimentation (Denler et al., 2014, p. 3). For example, confidence level is closely-related to a student’s self-efficacy (Denler et al., 2014, p. 3). Self-efficacy is a core concept of personality development, as set forth by Bandura’s SCT. Students who show more self-efficacy also demonstrate higher performance, even when environmental stimuli are negative (Denler et al., 2014, p. 3). Thus, students who demonstrate high levels of self-efficacy also show a greater ability to cognitively appraise the feedback of others, their own thinking, as well as certain environmental cues (Denler et al., 2014, p. 3). Indeed, self-efficacy, which is closely allied to reciprocality, is a key ingredient in the glue that holds Bandura’s theory of learning and personality development neatly together.
References
Denler, H., Wolters, C., & Benzon, M. (28 Jan, 2014). Social Cognitive Theory. Retrieved 29
