Social Cognitive Theory
Introduction
The objective of the study is to establish how substance use is related to attempted suicide among young people in the state of New York. The research has employed Social Cognitive Theory as a framework to establish the association between these two factors. Numerous social theories have been formulated to explain the developmental changes that people experiences throughout their lives. One of the theories includes Social Cognitive Theory. This theory was developed to explain the developmental changes that adults and adolescent undergo during the course of their lives. Social Cognitive Theory is best placed, among other theories, to explain and provide an understanding of both substance use and suicide attempts (Bjorklund & Causey, 2017). Substance abuse and suicide attempts are part of human development. It is crucial to note that development is a life-long process, thus social cognitive theory is best suited to evaluate the connection that exist between the two factors under study.
This theory is an interpersonal level theory that focuses on dynamic interaction between people, their environment and their behavior. The three main constructs of this theory include:
Personal factors
Their behavior
Their environments
It employs the use of Reciprocal Determinism to illustrate the association among personal factors, their environments and their behaviors. It is crucial to note that these factors constantly interact either by influencing or being influenced by each other. Social Cognitive Theory can be used to show the positive outcome of performing a positive behavior (Miranda et al., 2012).
Relationship between the theory and the study approach
The logical connection that exists between the key constructs of the theory is as follows: our environment affects both our behavior and personal factors. At the same time, our behavior is affected by our personal factors. In turn, our behavior affects our environment. Substance use is a personal factor that is highly influenced by the environment of the user. As a result, the personal factor affects the behavior of the user (attempted suicide). The study can utilize this theory to demonstrate a positive result by performing a desired character. It can affect one construct in order to demonstrate its effect on the other constructs (Bjorklund & Causey, 2017). As per the study, the rate of suicide attempts can be investigated by eliminating or minimizing substance abuse. Additionally, the effect of the environment (school property) can be investigated to determine its influence on substance use.
Social cognitive theory emphasizes on the changes in the psychosocial operation of both adults and adolescents. According Ramirez, Kulinna & Cothran (2012), human development is not a monumental process. Instead, human abilities are determined by their psychobiologic origin. Therefore, human development entails a myriad different patterns and types of changes. It is best suited to establish if there is a correlation between the two factors under investigation (Miranda et al., 2012). The theory asserts that miscellany in social practices generates extensive individual differences in proficiencies that are cultured and those that remain uncultivated. Social Cognitive Theory asserts that human being tend to acquire beliefs about the environment and themselves over the course of their development. These beliefs are based on personal sense of worth, lovability and control. They can be maladaptive or adaptive depending on the long-term experiences with significant situations and people.
Tabular representation of the link between study variable and theory
Figure 1: The link between theory constructs and study variables
References
Bjorklund, D. F., & Causey, K. B. (2017). Children's thinking: Cognitive development and individual differences. SAGE Publications.
Miranda, R., Gallagher, M., Bauchner, B., Vaysman, R., & Marroquín, B. (2012). Cognitive inflexibility as a prospective predictor of suicidal ideation among young adults with a suicide attempt history. Depression and anxiety, 29(3), 180-186.
Ramirez, E., Kulinna, P. H., & Cothran, D. (2012). Constructs of physical activity behaviour in children: The usefulness of Social Cognitive Theory. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 13(3), 303-310.
