Social Cognitive Theory Basics - Research Paper Example

Abstract

In amidst of ever-changing psychological theories, Bandura’s (1986) social cognitive theory continues to articulate individuals as psychological and social beings with emotions, behaviors, and thoughts that are influenced by immediate environment. As globalization continues to shape the socioeconomic environment, Schwarzer (2014) asserts that due to human nature of emotions, thoughts and the impact of social factors within the society, individual imitate from others in behavioral development. Thus, Bandura (1986) defines social cognitive theory as a psychological model that is based on the notion that people’s personalities are developed through watching and imitating what others do. Due to the complex nature of human behavior, the social cognitive theory articulate three factors that influence individual development are: the environment, observing others, and behavior cognition of others in the society. These factors are not consistent or independent but they are reciprocal of each other that determine the modeling of individuals’ behavior in the development within the society.

The paper aims to analyze the social cognitive theory’s perspective of personality development in understanding how the environment, observing others and behavior cognition alters individual’s development in the society. According to Locke & Bandura (1987), the three factors are critical in understanding the theory in emphasizing motivation elements in the development process. Thus, the concept of self-efficacy within the domains of social cognitive theory is well captured based on the learner’s belief and capability in producing the desired behavior outcomes through observing others, the environment and cognition. The social cognitive theory could be critical in answering how individuals are born, describe personality, and provide the theory’s pros and cons as a literature for future studies.

Key words: social cognitive theory (SCT), personality development, and self-efficacy

Introduction

Based on the social cognitive theory (SCT), individuals are born as ‘Blank Slate’ as their personality development is influenced by observing others, the environment and cognition behavior that are often determined by self-efficacy. According to Denler, Wolters & Benzon (2014), development of self and self-efficacy is a continuous life-long process that individual starts from birth to their adulthood that are essential to meet the daily living requirement. The self-efficacy that is acquired as a child plays a critical role in determining the behavior or personality that the individual draw upon as an adult. Within the context of developing individual personality, there are two types of environment that have been identified as important which include: the physical and social environment that is critically important for personality development of an individual within the society.

Within the context of SCT, social environment include colleagues, friends, family members, and immediate community members that individual interact with on regular basis. The social environment influences the thoughts, emotions and behavior directly within the domains of personality development as the individual’s self-efficacy highly influenced. The physical environment involves the climate, landscape, room, or food within which may influence individuals’ personality development (Augoustinos, Walker, & Donaghue, 2014). In understanding the role the social and physical environment play in influencing behavior, mental or cognitive representations of these environments impacts the thoughts, emotions and behavior of individual within different situations. Therefore, individual perceptions, situations or the physical environment affect the general individual behavior with the mental representation of an individual playing a critical role in developing moral competences.

Thus, it can be cited that individual are born as ‘Blank Slate’ and as a result they imitate others in their environment, behavior and observing others in the society. Individual personality development is the product of our immediate social and physical environment with cognitive perception articulating the moral competence that individual may adapt in a long-life process of developing personal personality. The social cognitive theory further explores personality development from a critical angle of emotions, thoughts and behaviors that are not consistent or independent to each other but are reciprocal of each other provided with the situation that one is subjected to. In the modern society, the social cognitive theory continues to establish the core reflection on the human development process through observing others within the social and physical environment of the modern world.

Describing Personality Development

Personality development is long-life process that as individual different situation may triggers different behavior in the process of interacting with others in the society. For instance, let us take the physical environment as a factor that affects individual’s personality. When one attends a church service, there are norms that have been ascribed to being in the church that will effectively alter the way we behave in church compared to other places. In church there moral standards and behavior that must be observed thus affecting how we behave in church and therefore, with consistent exposure to the church as a physical environment, on develops a personality that is acceptable and ascribed to the context of the church.

In the context of social environment, family members, colleagues or friends contribute effectively towards who we become from childhood to adulthood. For instance, as a child, we often imitate what our parents do as a result we develop self-efficacy that determine the values that we draw upon as adults. If friends love watching soccer there is high possibility that as part of the group, you may also develop the passion to watch football. When raised in a Christian/Hindu/Muslim type of religion family, we often tend to conform to the religion with its values and beliefs based on the beliefs of family members. On the essence of observing others we develop behaviors that are similar to those we associate with more often in the society. If one grows up where parents violently abuse each other either physically or through insults, the likely hold of that child being violent is high due to the cognitive notion of reality.

Thus, personality development is the behaviors that we develop as a result of the environment, observation and behavior cognition within the different situation context that has been articulated to us in the society. It is the things that we often learn from others who are close to us through imitating or desiring to enhance certain behavior that are deemed normal and accepted within the society. The notion of personality is based on enhancing behavior that is acceptable to the social and physical environment that one can be identified with. It is a learning process from childhood to adulthood by emulating and consistently developing the behavior that the society and personal conviction admits to be right within the domains of social context.

Pros of Social Cognitive Theory

The social cognitive theory it takes into account the human behavior, the environment and cognition as factors that influence personality development. Through such comprehensive coverage of the factors, the theory provides a holistic approach in the study of human behavior within the context of thoughts, emotions and the social environment in understanding the whole concept of human development.

The theory articulates self-efficacy as a critical notion in developing personality development such that its effect could motivate individuals to attain desired goals in life. For instance, the theory provides the basic concept of belief through the cognitive perspective in enhancing human development through imitating the social and the physical environment that determines human behavior.

The theory focuses effectively on the role of self-regulation in the learning process. As a long life learning process, the social cognitive theory provides the personality development self-regulating context that is effective in enhancing learning and it outcome in the process. Thoughts and emotions are not consistent or independent thus the theory enhances the reciprocal nature of behavior of individuals based on the different situations one is subjected to.

Cons of Social Cognitive Theory

The theory fails to address effectively the human behavior complexities as it only acknowledges the social and physical environment as the factors that affect personality development. For instance, the theory does not focus in the personal traits of individuals, biological difference and moods that is critical in personality development. Thus, through such gap in the theory, there are critical concerns of the theory’s effectiveness within the application in personality development.

The Gap in the Theory

Despite the theory’s comprehensive and critical identification of social and physical environment with cognition as the core factor influencing personality development, there exist gaps that if addressed the theory could be more effective. For instance, Eysenck (1998) asserts that the social cognitive theory does not address the biological context as a factor that could influence behavior in human beings. The theory only acknowledges that social and physical environment influence individual’s personality through observing others, modeling behavior and cognition that are largely effective in the behavioral study context. However, if the theory could acknowledge personal traits and the biological factors as critical in determining individual behavior it could enhance better outcomes in its effectiveness.

As the theory emphasize on the observations and behavior modeling it lack basis of logic when individuals in the society may be deviant to the ascribed norms and belief of the social and physical environment. Thus, deviant individuals in the society have not been well addressed within the context of personal traits that may be attributed to experiences that are neither social nor physical. For example, if a convict in prison decides to change and become a functional member of the society despite the fact that he or she is surrounded by other convict who are not behaving well. Also, conceptualize the same ex-convict despite the parole and rehabilitation centre giving him a second chance in the society but they commit the same mistake. The given scenarios presents the weakness of the social cognitive theory fails to effectively articulate the relationship between biological factors and personal traits in developing personality.

The theory could be more effective in the learning process if it could incorporate the essence of biological factors and personal traits in personality development that could holistically enhance its logic and applicability in the psychological sciences. It’s paramount to note that the basis of the theory is based on the moral competence of cognitions as a general accepted norm within the context of observing and modeling of behavior through the physical and social environment as key in personality development. Due to the rich literature context of behavioral science, the biological factor could have been used effectively within the social cognitive theory to establish comprehensive approach of modeling behavior, observing others and biological factors as its core pillars. Through such holistic approach, it could be effective for the theory to explore other personality development factors within the scope of enhancing the current literature of social cognitive theory.

Research Study

Wirick, S. E. (2014). The Promotion of Regular Exercise Behavior among Sedentary Emerging Adults Based on Social Cognitive Theory (Doctoral dissertation, The Ohio State University).

Retrieved from: https://search-proquest-com.ezproxylocal.library.nova.edu/docview/1780513871/6BEE9A86ED6C4C8BPQ/2?accountid=6579

Wirick (2014) explores how to promote the regular exercise based on the Social cognitive theory. As the health problem of Obesity increases rapidly, the controlled experienced of 32 participants were assigned the social cognitive that was designed as a behavioral strategy in enhance exercise as a strategy to enhance better behavioral. The study aimed to enhance physical activity behavior among adult population that was to establish the health of these individuals and their cardiovascular fitness for healthier communities. Based on the study, it was articulated that friends’ social support and participants’ self-regulations reported an effective progress on the treatment group outcomes. Thus, from the study, it is critical to note that even old people often tend to imitate the social friends in performing some activities within the domains social cognitive theory.

Mental health of the participant in the study improved through the social friend support that enhanced their physical activities rates that is based on the social context of social cognitive theory. The study further explored the importance of the social environment such as family, colleagues and friends in personality development that the study concluded that the social support from friends enhanced the outcome of the study which was effective in increasing the physical activities of the adults. Also, the concept of physical environment further played a critical role in the study as the participants were more active within the domains of groups in performing the physical activities. Thus, the study further justifies that assumption that is core in the social cognitive theory; individual personality development is a subject of the social and physical environment. Thus, the theory helps to further explain why the social support from friends was crucial in developing the physical activity culture among the participants.

Conclusion

Within the context of understanding human behavior and personality, it is complex process that could understand within the domains of the social and physical environment. The social cognitive theory articulates the essential concept of understanding personality development based on the immediate environment, observing others and behavior cognition that are the critical pillars of the theory. As the process of personality development is a life-long process, the social cognitive theory explores the thoughts, emotions and behavior of individuals in different situations that influence the development of individuals in different context. It is critical for such personality development process to comprehensively understand the physical and social environment that contributes to individuals’ behavior and the role of cognitive representation that influence the moral competences of individuals. Despite the credible contribution of the social cognitive theory, it could be more effective if the theory could have articulated the role of biological factors within the personality development process.

Within the context of SCT, social environment include colleagues, friends, family members, and immediate community members that individual interact with on regular basis. The social environment influences the thoughts, emotions and behavior directly within the domains of personality development as the individual’s self-efficacy highly influenced. The physical environment involves the climate, landscape, room, or food within which may influence individuals’ personality development (Augoustinos, Walker, & Donaghue, 2014). In understanding the role the social and physical environment play in influencing behavior, mental or cognitive representations of these environments impacts the thoughts, emotions and behavior of individual within different situations. Therefore, individual perceptions, situations or the physical environment affect the general individual behavior with the mental representation of an individual playing a critical role in developing moral competences.

Thus, it can be cited that individual are born as ‘Blank Slate’ and as a result they imitate others in their environment, behavior and observing others in the society. Individual personality development is the product of our immediate social and physical environment with cognitive perception articulating the moral competence that individual may adapt in a long-life process of developing personal personality. The social cognitive theory further explores personality development from a critical angle of emotions, thoughts and behaviors that are not consistent or independent to each other but are reciprocal of each other provided with the situation that one is subjected to. In the modern society, the social cognitive theory continues to establish the core reflection on the human development process through observing others within the social and physical environment of the modern world.

Describing Personality Development

Personality development is long-life process that as individual different situation may triggers different behavior in the process of interacting with others in the society. For instance, let us take the physical environment as a factor that affects individual’s personality. When one attends a church service, there are norms that have been ascribed to being in the church that will effectively alter the way we behave in church compared to other places. In church there moral standards and behavior that must be observed thus affecting how we behave in church and therefore, with consistent exposure to the church as a physical environment, on develops a personality that is acceptable and ascribed to the context of the church.

In the context of social environment, family members, colleagues or friends contribute effectively towards who we become from childhood to adulthood. For instance, as a child, we often imitate what our parents do as a result we develop self-efficacy that determine the values that we draw upon as adults. If friends love watching soccer there is high possibility that as part of the group, you may also develop the passion to watch football. When raised in a Christian/Hindu/Muslim type of religion family, we often tend to conform to the religion with its values and beliefs based on the beliefs of family members. On the essence of observing others we develop behaviors that are similar to those we associate with more often in the society. If one grows up where parents violently abuse each other either physically or through insults, the likely hold of that child being violent is high due to the cognitive notion of reality.

Thus, personality development is the behaviors that we develop as a result of the environment, observation and behavior cognition within the different situation context that has been articulated to us in the society. It is the things that we often learn from others who are close to us through imitating or desiring to enhance certain behavior that are deemed normal and accepted within the society. Read More