1. Social Cognitive Theory
1960’s -70’s (Bandura, Rotter)
Emphasized a strong experimental approach

2. Social Cognitive Theory
Cognitive factors include our beliefs, expectations, and values, as well as our biological and genetic influences.
Behavior includes a variety of actions, such as what we do and say.
Environmental influences include our social, political, and cultural influences as well as our particular learning experiences.
Self Efficacy

3. Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory
Personality development, growth, and change are influenced by 3 distinctively human cognitive processes
Observational learning
Watch, imitate
Purposeful behavior
Anticipate events, plan ahead, set goals
Self-analysis
Internal process that allows us to monitor our own thoughts and actions

4. Locus of Control
Julian Rotter: How much control to we have over our situations or rewards?
Internal/external
Handout
Rotter’s findings indicate that a specific belief, such as how much control you believe you have, influences how you perceive your world; and in turn, affects how you behave. (Health, explanatory style)
Prisons, Nursing Homes, Work Places

5. Self Efficacy You judge your SE by combining 4 sources of info.
You use previous experiences of successes & failures
You compare your capabilities with those of others
You listen to what others say about your capabilities
You use feedback from your body to assess your strength, vulnerability, and capability.
Refers to the confidence in your ability to organize and execute a given course of action to solve a problem or accomplish a task
“I think that I am capable of getting a high grade in this course.” is a sign of strong self-efficacy
Some people have a strong sense of self efficacy that applies to many situations. Others have a strong sense that only applies to a few areas. Having either high or low self efficacy can increase or decrease your performance and success in a variety of tasks and personal behaviors.

6. Delay of Gratification-Mischel
Should I take 1 marshmallow now or wait and get 2 later?
Refers to not taking an immediate but less desirable reward and instead waiting and pursuing an object or completing a task that promises a better reward in the future.
Related to self control, impulsiveness, & will power
How long children can wait for marshmallows depended upon what they attended to.
Imagined (15 minutes)
In front of them (6 minutes)