social-cognition Flashcards
What is Social-Cognitive Theory (SCT), and who developed it?
SCT was developed by Albert Bandura and Walter Mischel.
It combines behavioral learning with cognitive psychology to explain how people learn, regulate behavior, and adapt.
People are active participants in shaping their personality, not just passive products of their environment.
🔹 Example: A child observes parents arguing and learns to respond to conflicts aggressively.
How does SCT critique other personality theories?
Example: A person may be shy at work but outgoing with friends, proving personality depends on the situation, not just fixed traits.
What is Observational Learning (Modeling) in SCT?
People learn by watching others, not just through direct reinforcement.
Learning can occur without immediate action (Acquisition vs. Performance).
🔹 Example:
A child sees a sibling get scolded for lying and learns not to lie.
Bandura’s Bobo Doll Experiment showed how children mimic aggression after watching aggressive models.
What is Reciprocal Determinism, and how does it shape personality?
Personality is shaped by continuous interaction between:
Personal Factors (beliefs, emotions, cognitive skills).
Behavior (actions a person takes).
Environment (social context, reinforcements, punishments).
🔹 Example:
A shy person (personal factor) avoids social events (behavior), leading to fewer social interactions (environment), which reinforces shyness.
What is Self-Efficacy, and how does it influence behavior?
Self-efficacy is a person’s belief in their ability to succeed at a specific task.
Higher self-efficacy → Greater motivation, persistence, and stress management.
Lower self-efficacy → Avoidance, anxiety, and learned helplessness.
🔹 Example:
A student with high self-efficacy in math studies harder and perseveres through challenges.
A student with low self-efficacy avoids math, assuming failure is inevitable.
How does the Cognitive-Affective Processing System (CAPS) Model explain personality?
Personality is not a set of rigid traits but a flexible system that changes depending on the situation.
Behavior is triggered by context, rather than being fixed.
🔹 Example:
A person may be outgoing at home but reserved in professional settings.
🔹 Study:
Research on children at summer camp showed that aggression depended on the situation, not just personality traits.
What are the different types of goals in SCT’s goal-setting model?
Proximal Goals – Short-term (e.g., “study for 2 hours tonight”).
Distal Goals – Long-term (e.g., “graduate with honors”).
Learning Goals – Focus on improvement.
Performance Goals – Focus on results.
🔹 Example:
A student adjusts their study habits based on past exam performance to meet their goal of an A.
What are the three self-regulation strategies in SCT?
Self-Observation – Tracking behavior.
Self-Judgment – Evaluating performance.
Self-Reaction – Adjusting behavior to meet goals.
🔹 Example: A runner tracks workouts, evaluates progress, and adjusts training to improve performance.
What is Self-Regulation in Social-Cognitive Theory?
Self-regulation is a person’s ability to control their behavior, set goals, and decide when to continue or stop pursuing a goal. It acts like an internal feedback system, helping individuals assess their progress and adjust their efforts.
🔹 Example: A student studying for an exam may increase their effort if they are behind or take a break if they feel prepared.
What did Bandura & Cervone’s (1983) study on goals and performance feedback reveal?
Motivation is strongest when both goals and performance feedback are present.
People who felt dissatisfied with their progress but had high self-efficacy worked harder.
If self-efficacy was low, even dissatisfaction did not lead to increased effort.
🔹 Example: A runner aiming for a 4-hour marathon will train harder if feedback shows they are behind schedule—but only if they believe they can improve.
How does feedback influence motivation according to SCT?
Motivation increases when people see a gap between their current performance and their goal.
Self-efficacy is key—if people believe they can improve, they put in more effort.
🔹 Example: A struggling math student who believes they can improve and gets feedback on weak areas will study harder. If they lack confidence, they may give up.
What is Intrinsic Motivation, and why is it important?
Intrinsic motivation is the drive to engage in activities for personal satisfaction rather than external rewards like money or praise.
🔹 Example: A musician who plays for personal enjoyment rather than fame or money.
How does Intrinsic Motivation develop?
Challenging but achievable goals create positive self-evaluation.
Belief in self-efficacy makes people more likely to persist.
🔹 Example: A student who sets a challenging but realistic goal in piano practice stays motivated even without rewards.
When does motivation decline according to SCT?
If external rewards disappear and a person lacks self-efficacy, they lose motivation.
If self-efficacy is too low, success may seem impossible, leading to disengagement.
🔹 Example: A student who feels they will never be good at math may stop trying altogether.
What strategies help increase intrinsic motivation?
Break tasks into smaller subgoals (reduces overwhelm).
Help individuals monitor progress (boosts self-awareness).
Provide feedback that builds self-efficacy (encourages persistence).
🔹 Example: A teacher assigns small, manageable writing tasks, gives positive feedback, and helps students track improvement.
How does the environment influence behavior in SCT?
Unlike strict behaviorism, which sees people as passive recipients of environmental influences, SCT shows that people actively interpret and respond to their surroundings.
🔹 Example: A young woman in a new social setting may adjust her behavior based on how she perceives the environment, rather than simply reacting.
Why is Social-Cognitive Theory different from other personality theories?
Unlike psychoanalysis (Freud), SCT focuses on conscious self-regulation rather than unconscious conflicts.
Unlike behaviorism (Skinner), SCT recognizes that people actively shape their own learning and behavior.
🔹 Example: A person with social anxiety can use cognitive strategies (rather than just environmental conditioning) to manage their fears.
What are the key takeaways of Social-Cognitive Theory?
Self-regulation helps individuals decide when to continue or stop pursuing a goal.
Motivation is strongest when people have both goals and feedback.
Self-efficacy is essential for turning feedback into motivation.
Intrinsic motivation develops when people set meaningful challenges and believe in their ability to succeed.
People actively shape their own behavior, rather than just reacting to external forces.
What is Self-Efficacy, and why is it important?
Self-efficacy is a person’s belief in their ability to overcome challenges and achieve goals.
Higher self-efficacy leads to greater motivation, resilience, and persistence.
Helps psychologists predict behavior and success in different areas like education, career, and innovation.
🔹 Example: A person with high self-efficacy in public speaking will confidently prepare and present, while someone with low self-efficacy may avoid it altogether.
How is Self-Efficacy measured?
Self-report questionnaires where individuals rate their confidence in handling different challenges.
Helps assess personal growth, motivation, and decision-making abilities.
🔹 Example: A person may rate their confidence in staying calm under pressure on a scale from 1 (Not confident) to 5 (Very confident).
What is Innovation Self-Efficacy?
A person’s confidence in their ability to generate, test, and implement new ideas.
Measures creativity, adaptability, and problem-solving skills.
🔹 Example: An entrepreneur developing a new product must feel confident in market research, generating creative solutions, and testing ideas for success.
What are key components of the Innovation Self-Efficacy Scale?
Exploration & Awareness – Observing trends and opportunities.
Adopting New Viewpoints – Learning to see things differently.
Creativity & Idea Generation – Developing unique solutions.
Testing Ideas – Assessing practicality and feasibility.
Persistence – Overcoming setbacks and staying motivated.
Communication & Visualization – Expressing ideas clearly.
🔹 Example: A designer brainstorming new fashion trends based on customer preferences and market demands.
What is Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy (CDMSE)?
A person’s confidence in making career-related decisions and handling job-related challenges.
Helps individuals assess their career readiness and problem-solving abilities.
🔹 Example: A high school student choosing a college major might struggle with self-doubt. CDMSE helps measure their confidence in researching careers, setting goals, and making informed choices.
What are the five areas measured by the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale (CDSE)?
Self-Appraisal – Confidence in assessing personal strengths and weaknesses.
Occupational Information – Confidence in gathering and understanding career options.
Goal Selection – Confidence in choosing a career path.
Planning – Confidence in creating a career plan.
Problem Solving – Confidence in overcoming career-related obstacles.
🔹 Example: A college graduate with high CDSE is more likely to actively research job opportunities and develop a career strategy.
How is CDSE used in real life?
Career counseling & coaching – Helps individuals explore career options.
Workplace development programs – Improves decision-making skills.
Guidance for students & professionals – Builds confidence in career choices.
🔹 Example: A job seeker with low CDSE may feel overwhelmed by career decisions, while someone with high CDSE confidently navigates the job market.
How does self-efficacy differ across different life areas?
Example: A person may have high innovation self-efficacy but low career decision-making self-efficacy, meaning they excel at creative problem-solving but struggle with career planning.
Why do psychologists use different self-efficacy scales?
Self-efficacy is context-specific, meaning confidence varies across different areas of life.
Measuring different types of self-efficacy helps identify strengths and areas for growth.
🔹 Example: A software engineer may feel high self-efficacy in coding but low self-efficacy in public speaking.
What are the key takeaways about Social-Cognitive Self-Efficacy Instruments?
1️⃣ Self-efficacy influences motivation, goal-setting, and perseverance.
2️⃣ Innovation self-efficacy measures confidence in creativity and problem-solving.
3️⃣ Career decision-making self-efficacy assesses confidence in career planning.
4️⃣ Different self-efficacy scales measure different life skills.
5️⃣ These instruments help psychologists, educators, and career counselors support individuals in personal growth and success.
