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Social Cognitive Learning Theory

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Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development

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Social learning theory

Definition

Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory conceptualizes cognitive, vicarious, self-regulatory, and self-reflective processes as they relate to human motivation and behavior.

Description

Social cognitive theory was founded on the social learning theory proposed by N. E. Miller and J. Dollard in 1941 [8]. Early social learning theorists were heavily influenced by behaviorism and drive reduction principles. In 1963 Albert Bandura and Richard Walters extended social learning theory by stressing that observational learning is a natural occurrence. They also stressed that reinforcement controls performance, not learning, and that learning can happen vicariously. Bandura’s work also developed the importance of self-beliefs in learning behaviors. With the 1986 publication of his book Social Foundations of Thought and Action: A Social Cognitive Theory [2], Bandura made a clear distinction between his theory, which emphasizes the important role of...

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References

  1. Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84, 191–215.

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  2. Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

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  3. Bandura, A. (1989). Social cognitive theory. In R. Vasta (Ed.), Annals of child development. Vol. 6. Six theories of child development (pp. 1–60). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.

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  4. Bandura, A. (1995). Self-efficacy in changing societies. New York: Freeman.

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  5. Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: Freeman.

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  6. Bandura, A. (1998). Health promotion from the perspective of social cognitive theory. Psychology and Health, 13, 623–649.

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  7. Kihlstrom, J. F., & Harackiewicz, J. M. (1990). An evolutionary milestone in the psychology of personality. Psychological Inquiry, 1(1), 86–100.

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  8. Miller, N. E., & Dollard, J. (1941). Social learning and imitation. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

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  9. Pajares, F. (2002). Overview of social cognitive theory and self-efficacy. Retrieved on August 14, 2008, from http://www.emory.edu/EDUCATION/mfp/eff.html

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Bozack, A. (2011). Social Cognitive Learning Theory. In: Goldstein, S., Naglieri, J.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_2715

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_2715

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-77579-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-79061-9

  • eBook Packages: Behavioral Science

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