Social-cognitive theory (SCT) is a psychological theory that combines elements of social and cognitive psychology to explain how people learn and develop through the interactions between their environment, their behavior, and their personal factors. SCT emphasizes the role of observational learning, self-regulation, and self-efficacy in shaping behavior and personal development.
SCT was developed by Albert Bandura in the 1960s and 1970s, and it was influenced by his earlier research on social learning theory. Bandura proposed that people learn not only through direct experiences, but also by observing the behavior of others and the consequences of that behavior. He called this observational learning, and he believed that it plays a crucial role in the development of social behavior and personality.
According to SCT, behavior is influenced by a variety of factors, including the person’s environment, their behavior, and their personal factors such as beliefs, values, and attitudes. SCT emphasizes the importance of cognition in shaping behavior, and it suggests that people use cognitive processes to interpret and make sense of their experiences. These cognitive processes include attention, perception, memory, and thinking.
One of the key concepts of SCT is self-efficacy, which refers to a person’s belief in their ability to perform a particular task or behavior. Bandura believed that self-efficacy plays a crucial role in shaping behavior, as people are more likely to engage in behaviors that they believe they can successfully perform. Self-efficacy is influenced by a variety of factors, including past experiences, modeling by others, and feedback from others.
SCT also emphasizes the role of self-regulation in behavior. Self-regulation refers to the ability to monitor and control one’s own behavior, thoughts, and emotions. SCT suggests that people use self-regulation to set goals, plan actions, and monitor their progress towards those goals. Self-regulation is influenced by a variety of factors, including personal factors such as motivation, emotions, and self-efficacy, as well as environmental factors such as social support and feedback.
SCT has been used to explain a wide range of behaviors and phenomena, including health behaviors, academic achievement, and interpersonal relationships. For example, SCT has been used to explain why some people are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors such as exercise and healthy eating, while others are more likely to engage in unhealthy behaviors such as smoking and overeating. SCT suggests that people’s beliefs about their ability to engage in healthy behaviors, as well as their perceptions of the rewards and costs of those behaviors, play a crucial role in shaping their behavior.
SCT has also been used to explain academic achievement. SCT suggests that academic achievement is influenced by a variety of factors, including personal factors such as self-efficacy, motivation, and self-regulation, as well as environmental factors such as teacher expectations and social support. For example, students who believe that they are capable of achieving academic success are more likely to set goals, engage in self-regulatory behaviors, and persist in the face of challenges.
SCT has also been used to explain interpersonal relationships. SCT suggests that people learn about relationships through observation and modeling, and that their beliefs and attitudes about relationships are shaped by their experiences with others. SCT also emphasizes the role of self-regulation in maintaining healthy relationships, as people must monitor and control their own behavior in order to maintain positive interactions with others.
Despite its many strengths, SCT has also been criticized for a number of reasons. One of the main criticisms is that it oversimplifies the complexity of human behavior by reducing it to a set of cognitive processes. Critics argue that human behavior is influenced by a wide range of factors, including environmental and situational factors, as well as cultural and social norms.