Social-Cognitive Theory

Mr. Koch

AP Psychology

Andover High School

Social-Cognitive Theory

• Suggests behavior patterns are created by the interaction of our thoughts and what we learn through observation and conditioning (emphasizes how our personality interacts with our environment)

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• Social-Cognitive Theory assumes our traits interact with our social context to produce our behavior – therefore our behavior is best predicted by considering past behavior in similar situations. Personality is therefore best assessed by observing behavior in realistic situations.

Reciprocal Determinism �(Albert Bandura)

Behavior

motor responses

verbal responses

social interactions

Personal Factors

cognitive abilities

physical characteristics

beliefs & attitudes

Environment

physical surroundings

family/friends

culture

other social influences

Explores self-concept and contributions of self-efficacy and self-esteem

The “Self”

• In modern psychology, the self is assumed to be the center of personality, the organizer of our thoughts, feelings and actions

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• Self-Concept: How we view ourselves and in relation to others

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• Self-Efficacy: Our sense of competence and effectiveness (especially important according to Bandura)

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• Self-Esteem: Our feelings of high or low self-worth