PST - Social-Cognitive Theory Lesson

 

Social-Cognitive Theory

No theory of personality is perfect. Psychoanalysis focuses solely on bad past experiences and hidden thoughts that cannot be scientifically proven. Humanists focus on the good in humanity as each person seeks self-actualization, but this quest cannot be measured. Trait theorists believe so strongly in traits that they ignore how people behave differently in different situations.  

Albert Bandura's Social-Cognitive Theory attempts to bridge the gap between some of these theories by emphasizing reciprocal determinism: the interaction between a person and the environment. Bandura believed that a person is born with certain personality traits that make them choose environments where they will get rewards and consequences and exhibit behaviors that then enhance those personality traits. For example, a person might be very extroverted (trait), which makes the person want to be on the debate team (environment). While at debate practice, the person gets rewarded with praise when they verbally express opinions (behavior). And that reward in that environment enhances the extroversion.

Each factor both influences and is influenced by the other factors. So a Social-Cognitive Theorist would say that personality is shaped by how someone interprets and reacts to events, thus creating future situations that will continue to shape personality.

 

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