Beliefs About the Self (from notes)

Question 1

What are major concepts associated with social cognitive theory?

Answer 1

• Observational learning
• Modeling
• Vicarious learning
• Self-efficacy
• Reciprocal determinism

Question 2

What is the concept of reciprocal determinism?

Answer 2

The idea that human conduct (behavior) results from the interplay between self-beliefs and the environment.

Behavior (performance)
Personal (self-efficacy judgments)
Environmental (teacher feedback)

Question 3

What are the two main types of observational learning in social cognitive theory?

Answer 3

• Vicarious learning (Learning from the success or failures of others/observing others being reinforced or punished)
• Modeling/imitation (Watching someone else perform a skill/copying someone’s behavior)

Question 4

How are self-efficacy and self-concept different?

Answer 4

Self-efficacy:

• Context specific
• Competence for performing specific tasks
• Reference points for judgments tend to be inherent within the task requirements (e.g. How confident are you that you can successfully write a good essay on the information processing model?)

Self-concept:

• Judgment of competence at a broad level
• Evaluates feelings of self-worth
• Reference points for judgments tend to be social and self-comparisons (e.g. I am a better reader than most of my classmates/I am better at science than I am at math)

Question 5

Learners with high self-efficacy tend to…

Answer 5

• Engage in challenging tasks
• Persist when they face failure
• Believe they will succeed
• Control stress & anxiety when goals are not met
• Believe they are in control of their environment
• Discard unproductive strategies
• Perform better than low-efficacy students of equal ability

Question 6

What four factors influence self-efficacy?

Answer 6

• Past performance: Past success in solving algebra equation increases individual’s beliefs in their capacity to solve other algebra problems
• Modeling: Observing others successfully solving algebra equations increases observer’s beliefs in their capabilities to solve them
• Verbal persuasion: A teacher comments “I know you will be able to solve these equations” increases the likelihood that individuals will engage in demanding tasks, and if successful, belief in their capabilities to solve them increases
• Psychological state: Anxiety, fatigue, etc. Thoughts, such as “I can’t do this stuff,” use working memory space that could be devoted to solving the problem

Question 7

How can you improve student efficacy?

Answer 7

• Present challenging yet doable activities that are mastery oriented
• Arm students with numerous cognitive and metacognitive strategies
• Encourage students with specific feedback about their performance
• Avoid verbal persuasion, even subtle persuasion, which may squelch a student’s engagement
• Gain awareness of not only your students’ ability but also their perceptions of their ability