I was given this short article by one of my other professors, and I found it to be really helpful. It gives a great overview of Social Cognitive Theory. It also describes how this theory stems from Social Learning Theory, and how it has evolved to what it is today. It points out similarities of SCT to Behaviorism as well as other theories in psychology. The article describes how modeling and other types of social influence motivates certain behaviors and how these behaviors can then be changed or modified. This article really cleared a lot of confusing parts of these theories up for me. Hopefully it will help some of you also!
I thought that one of the most interesting parts of the article was the section on symbols. Abstract thinking is a large part of social cognitive theory, which would entail the usage of symbols. I never thought about it this way before, but using symbols is a way that many people learn and understand the environment around them.
Another area I thought was interesting is the section on modeling. We have all learned about modeling in other classes, I'm sure. In relation to the Reeve textbook, he discusses how modeling can effect and influence self-regulation (Reeve, 290). The SCT article goes into death on the importance of self-regulatory behavior (p. 5), because self-regulatory behaviors act as a mediator between external influences and internal thoughts, feelings, and actions. Both the textbook and the SCT article also discuss goal-setting in relation to self-regulation, in that it helps people to achieve their goals successfully and drive them to go farther (Reeve, 290). Reeve also points out four crucial parts of the regulation process: "observation, imitation, self-control, and self-regulation" (Reeve, 291). The SCT article also discusses these aspects, but in a less-direct manner.
Also discussed in the article are aspects of external and internal motivation. On page 5, the authors discuss how getting an "A" in class is a great form of extrinsic motivation, and a rewarding experience. At the same time, the sense of pride we feel when getting an "A" is also a form of intrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivations are things that motivate us outside of the feelings or emotions we feel (receiving money, rewards, tangible things), whereas intrinsic motivations are more internally driven (Reeve, 111-113). These types of motivations have a huge impact on how well we perform at a certain task or behavior, why we perform that task or behavior, and how often we perform that task or behavior.
The SCT article describes three factors that can influence how a person is motivated:
1. Self-efficacy
2. Feedback
3. Anticipated Time
We have discussed all of these aspects many times in class. How do these things relate from SCT back to what we discussed in class? Are the things we have been discussing (exercising, studying for a test, etc) all just forms of applying the SCT to real life? What are some ways that these aspects can relate to other areas of psychology?
I'd like to know what you think of it. Do you think this article provides a good overview of these theories, or is the article too generalized? Are these concepts too complex to be described in a few pages? What do you think of SCT in general? Does it focus too much on self-efficacy and modeling while ignoring other important parts of motivation and learning?
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