Banduras Social Cognitive Theory
The relevance of Banduras social cognitive theory is already proven. It supports health communication. The theory discuses the emotional and cognitive aspects of learning that are relevant to the study and discovery of human behavior and the change of their already acquired characteristics. The medical researchers have a wide open door towards the health educational researches which has resulted from the development of the theory by Bandura (Weitman, 2008). Moreover, the social cognitive theory does not lock out researchers from other fields like psychology from criticism or the provision of any additional information on the same.
Banduras cognitive learning theory has some concept on development within his research that quotes on the effect of individuals character in relation to environment, expectations, self control, observational learning, self efficacy, reciprocal determination, reinforcement, situations, behavioral capability and expectancies. His conceptual model includes the behavior of the individual, the personality of the individual such as the affective, biological and cognitive ability, not forgetting the environmental dimensions that affect the individual. Bandura used surveys, quasi-experiments and research experiments to carry out his research and came up with the findings that are currently in wide use within the healthcare fraternity and sociological research development (Shaffer, Kipp, 2009).
Banduras approach on the social cognitive theory lays a great emphasis on the social behavior origins coupled with the cognitively developed thought process which has found its way in the influence of the nature, character and behavior of human behavior as well as their functioning. According to Bandura, learning can take place without the presence of any immediate reinforcement since the key determinant of human functioning is ones choice of path. In other word, learning can take place through the observation of models and without reinforcement. Walters and Bandura made numerous investigations and research work that enabled them to come up with the ideas on models influence in learning processes (Weitman, et al, 2008). Bandura stated that in modeling, there is the involvement of both the mimicry and the learning of some demonstrated behaviors and their value towards the ultimate goal achievement.
The research carried out by Bandura resulted into a breakthrough in sociology which showed that some of the traditional values were almost obsolete in the initial learning processes. His argument was formulated against the use of some traditional values such as punishment and other reinforcement laws to those who were in the wrong on the perception that they were irrelevant in learning though were rather necessary in performance. According to him, the traditional corrective measures could not be categorized as acquisition skills. Learning does not only occur as per the level of pleasure or displeasure and pain, but also outside such boundaries. Bandura insists that people can learn through observation of what others do. It can also take place though reading text on what they experience or what they do (Burney, 2008). Learning is not limited to corrective mechanisms of the old generation like beating up or branding names on wrong doers but more on the observation of the general world phenomena and that it does not have to be displayed in some kind on behavior or on the character of individuals.
While carrying out his research, Bandura had a number of his own propositions about observational leaning process that he worked on in a stepwise manner. His conceptional scheme comprised of four steps as stipulated below. In the first step, Bandura involved the observational processes that highly needed attention behavioral characteristics of certain models. In this case, the research dealt with the observation of some characteristics like the sensory, perception, arousal levels, motivational effects and the reinforcement effects of the past.
His second step included the study of retention processes involved after an observational experience. For example, checking the amount of material one could remember after observing and how the encoding process was achieved as well as studying the level with which the observed scenarios made sense to the observer. Thirdly, the study included the process of motor reproduction which dealt with the observers ability to repeat the performed and observed actions (Ortiz, Harwood, 2007). The level of response was studied at this level as well as the physical capabilities. Finally, the fourth step that Bandura took in his proposition was the test of motivational processes that included various types of reinforcement such as self-reinforcement, vicarious reinforcement and external reinforcement.
One of the most recognized models that Bandura used in his research to show that observation skill was more productive in the leaning processes of individual was the bobo doll that he had produced a film. The film gave a scenario in which it included a young adult female who hit the bobo doll, punching it down. In this scenario, the woman shouted with a high pitched sound sockeroo and eventually kicked the doll, then at once sat on its top, and hammered it a little with a small sized hammer as she shouted a number of antagonistic phrases and so on. Bandura collected a group of people to take notes on their observation on the reaction of children from various kindergartens where he showed them the film. It was so surprising that most of the children upon observation and being given a chance to play the bobo doll, did exactly the same as the woman whom they hade viewed in the bobo film. His findings here were that observation does not need reinforcement to initiate learning.
With reference to Banduras research work, behavior is as a result of many determining factors that interact to influence the behavior of a character. Banduras idea in the case of reciprocal determinism suggests that these factors of influence in a persons behavior are not only existent in the individual inner self but also in his her environment. The factors are said to be interactive to form the resultant characteristic behavior in a certain environment. The factors within the individuals may be in the form of constitutional disposition, cognitive form and effect form (Robin, 2009). Personalities and behaviors are as a result of the complex system that is developed form external rewards, expectations, punishments and internal beliefs in the person. If by any chance any of the interacting factors that result in the behavior of the individual is altered, then there is need for change to be effected in all of the other factors to come up with a balanced individual in the new state.
In his research, Bandura talked of self efficacy to describe a person who feels and beliefs that they are self sufficient in his her dealings such that they can handle a tedious responsibility that could be stressful or unpredictable without the assistance of others. The sufficiency with which the self efficacy person works and achieves their target is greatly depended on whether they can handle the problem with a specific approach towards a certain goal, or they have allocated quality time and energy as relating to their goal to achieve the solution (Ali, Saunders, 2006). Their behavioral competence strongly lies in the trust and determination to achieve a certain specific goal.
Bandura further identifies some ways in which a person may acquire their self efficacy. These include but not limited to vicarious experience, performance accomplishments, verbal persuasions and emotional arousal experiences. In the case of vicarious experience, an individual learns to be self efficacy by the observation of what others have failed to achieve and what they have been able to achieve and then sets a ground breaking desire and strength towards being self sufficient. The provision of a source of comparison on personal competence allows them to learn and they can achieve it if they are determined to (Burney, 2008). On the other hand, performance accomplishments creates self efficacy through the individuals past experiences that they were able to go through and achieve on certain strenuous subjects or fail to achieve what they wanted to. The prior experience encourages the learner to develop an achievers heart and they may end up being self-efficacy.
The verbal persuasion from others talk may lead to an encouragement or discouragement towards achieving self efficacy. When people talk positively towards a persons activities, they encourage them to be good performers and create a positive attitude towards their self sufficient capabilities. In contrast, if there in no encouragement or only criticism fills the air around someone attempts to do some work, they may be discouraged depending on whether the activity was out of intention or planned or it did not need to be talked about of the performers to work on it (Weitman, et al, 2008).
Criticism may result to negative effects and a failure to develop self efficacy. Self efficacy can also be created through emotional arousal in which ones experience on a certain degree of pleasure in working on a certain environment affects the desire of carrying on with an action no matter the difficulties associated with it.
Thus, self efficacy is a learned behavior found in some individuals of a population.
Banduras social cognitive theory has been widely used in certain useful sociological researches to generate important information that is used to establish human behaviors and characteristics under different environmental conditions as well as individuals performance. His research method has undergone through some empirical research checks to ascertain that its information has a well founded ground and not just assumptions of own making. However, there are some limitations associated with Banduras theory. Critics argue that Banduras approach does not allow for the behavioral control to be dependant on biological factors like hormonal changes that may dictate the action of individuals at certain times (Shaffer, Kipp, 2009). It is believed that his research only resulted to a less unified theory rather than a self fulfilling one. His research has limited information on the relationship between concept and the observational learning processes. Considering research from sociologists in the world around, we realize that there is lots of research on the social cognitive theory. In these researches, the theory includes much of what Banduras research has described. For instance, it is stated that social cognitive theory elaborates more on what human behavior entails. Human behavior is described as a triadic, having reciprocal interaction created within the varied individuals inbuilt factors as well as dynamic conceptions.
The theory is insistent on the behavior that a person exhibits through response to the environment. It is worth noting that the behavior of different individuals are learned or acquired. This theory acknowledges the brain as the main organ of the body that controls cognitive activities including various study techniques and different abilities that different individuals have. Some have a higher capacity to encode information learned by observation or by other learning processes while others are good at the encoding process depending on the brain capacity (Robin, 2009). The brain does the encoding selectively depending on what the observer finds of interest or valuable through their inbuilt judgmental capacity within the brain. The individuals character or behavior is based on the brains perception of the data they have put in their mind. Reality of a persons character and behaviors is formed and observed as a feedback mechanism to the input in the mind of that individual. The interaction with the environment is a key determinant to whatever kind of information or data one feeds hisher brain with.
Moreover, the cognitive skills may change as one matures and acquires more knowledge towards their personal development of character and they end up acquiring a different or more advanced behavior from their childhood personality. Some of these changes that an experienced person may acquire include higher memory capacity, better reasoning and listening skills, and a higher level of attention to certain issues in their environment. Human behavior is not easily understandable to the majority of the human population unless one has researched on the formation of reality in the minds of certain individuals (Ali, Saunders, 2006). One may also not predict the next move of an individual, or suspect a change in them unless they master or make a keen observation on their moves over time as well as interact with them at close range.
Some researches by other sociologists only indicated that learning was through the individuals interaction with the environment while Bandura recognized that these theories were incomplete and upon active research, he came up with the idea of cognitive learning as being a major part of the learning process. He added to the pool of knowledge that the interactions between the internal events that are within the learner are the key determinant to their perception and behavior. The live models like teachers, peers and family members are strong foundation to a persons behavior since they observe the live models and may learn or copy some or most of the behaviors in these groups of people (Weitman, 2008). The peers and especially youths are the most influential group in the development of their values and character. Majority of the youths just want to fit in the preferred peer groups and they may end up being of good character of bad character depending on their mentors.
The performance models may use speech, expertise, appearance or age which influence the development of some intrinsic values to the learners. The ability of a learner to copy a performing model is dependant on whether the learners perception on the model is correct. Rewarding a person in presence of learners creates direct motivation thus provoking vicarious leaning processes to the leaner (Ortiz, Harwood, 2007). The direct reinforcement is not as necessary since the learned can just make observation and perform effectively.
In conclusion, the social cognitive theory as discussed by Bandura cognitive learning process involves a three dimensional interaction of leaning factor. The three include the inner self capabilities, the environmental factors and thirdly, the individual factor, all of which interact to generate the responsive behavior that is observable and different from other individuals. The complexity of this interaction differs from person to person and from environment to another. Therefore, learning is a complex process that results in the different characteristic behaviors of individuals that may chose to be self regulating or self sufficient or the vice versa.
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