Social Cognitive Theory

Sean Dalton

H 571

10/30/14

Overview

• Background of Social Cognitive Theory

• Social Cognitive Theory

• Five key constructs of the theory (2 of the 5)

• Scenarios

Background

• Albert Bandura

• Social Learning Theory• People learn new behaviors through

observing others

• “Learning is a process that occurs within a social context and involves observing behaviors, modeling, reinforcement, and cognition”

Social Cognitive Theory

• Predicated on the concept that the social environment is a central influence on behavior

• Intersection between social environment, personal characteristics of individual, and behavior

• Not used to explain health behaviors, but can be effectively applied to many

Five Key Constructs of SCT

• Knowledge

• Perceived Self-Efficacy

• Outcome Expectations

• Goal Formation

• Sociocultural Factors

Knowledge

• Precondition for a behavior

• Necessary, but not sufficient

• “Gateway” that must be passed before more complex personal and social issues come into play

• Fundamental starting point for all health promotion programs

Content Knowledge

• Understanding the advantages and drawbacks of a behavior

• Represents minimal awareness only

• Cost benefit analysis

Procedural Knowledge

• More advanced type of knowledge

• Involves understanding how to engage in a given health behavior

• Procedural knowledge sets the stage for perceived self-efficacy

Perceived Self-Efficacy

• Perception of an individual’s ability to perform a behavior

• Task Specific

• Resilient Self-Efficacy• A strong sense of self-efficacy that does not weaken even under

adverse circumstances

• Perceived Self-Efficacy and the environment

Four Methods of Learning

Physiological State

• Learning to diminish fear and other negative emotions that may be associated with performing a given health-protective behavior

• Example: • Fear of pain associated with dentist may be enough to keep an

individual from high self-efficacy regarding going to the dentist

Verbal Persuasion

• Convincing an individual they can perform a given health-protective behavior

• Most effective when the individual believes they can produce effects through their actions

• Verbal persuasion beyond actual ability can be very counterproductive

Vicarious Experience

• Learning through watching an individual perform a behavior

• Successful performance of behavior can greatly increase an individuals

self-efficacy

• Most successful when people observe an individual much like

themselves

Enactive Attainment

• Physically guiding or coaching someone through the behavior

• An individuals SE is shaped by their successes and failures following effort

• “Structured success experiences”

Behavioral Capacity

• Disjunction between perceived self-efficacy and the actual ability to perform a given behavior

• Performance of the behavior is limited by behavioral capacity

• Health promotion efforts should focus on increasing both self-efficacy and behavioral capacity

Scenarios

• A man understands that he needs to physically exercise, but he doesn’t know how. This has lead him to have low self-efficacy regarding physical exercise. What might be the best learning method we can use to increase his self-efficacy regarding physical exercise?

• What might be the best type of learning strategy to apply to an intervention that aims to encourage individuals struggling with substance abuse to attend rehab?

In closing

“Nearly all human behavior is influenced by the immediate social environment in which the behavior occurs”

Questions?