Question

What does Bandura identify as a “precondition” for behavior change? Give an example for each of the two types of this Social Cognitive Theory construct.

Answer 1

According to the bandura concept of self-efficacy theory (SET), a person has a perception and precision to complete the tasks assigned to him. It is related to positive psychology. It is the determination and expectation in a person to perform and complete the task in a given amount of time. The precondition for a behavioral change in a person depends upon several factors like:

• environmental stimulus.
• behavioral attitude.
• personal and cognitive changes in a person.

The most important factor for a behavioral change in a person is self-efficacy. It tends to bring changes in the attitudes, behavior and emotions of a person in a variety of mental stages like depression etc.

There is self-replicative tendency in a person to perform the work given to him in a stimulated period of time. It creates a positive environment within a person with attainment of self-consciousness and self-awareness about the environmental situations. The people in the surroundings acknowledge, attain and analyze the situation as percepted by a positive behavior of a person and change accordingly with time.

The points of the social cognitive theory include:

• reciprocal determinism.
• behavioral and analytical capability.
• observational learning and performance enhancement.
• reinforcements.
• expectations
• self-determination, sef-precision, consciousness and self-efficacy to achieve a stage of merit in life.

The two types of social cognitive theory constructs include:

• Vicarious reinforcement--based on the experiances as observed on the basis of a psychological model.
• Vicarious punishment-based on the experiances and result of the model.

There are two types of learning--direct and indirect learning. Direct learning is based on learning experiances whereas indirect learning is based on the experiances which are observed in the surroundings.

Types of psychological models include :

• Direct models--It includes the experiances as analyzed by a person in surroundings with friends and family members.
• Symbolic models--imitating and mimicking the behavior of characters in models and animation films.
• Synthesized models---developing experiances based on some previous acts or observational learning behavior acts.