Social Cognitive Theory The social cognitive theory was formed in in 1977 primarily from the work of Albert Bandura, initially developed with the purpose of explaining social behaviors. It emphasizes that “learning occurs in a social context, and that much of what is learned is gained through observation” (Anderman & Anderman, 2009, p. 834). This theory has been applied to a wide spectrum of areas of study such as human functioning as career choice, athletics, organizational behavior, and mental and physical health. It has also been used in the areas of behavior in the classroom including motivation, learning, and achievement. The social cognitive theory has five major concepts.
The first concept is observational learning. This idea is also known as vicarious modeling because learning is a result of watching behaviors in the environment. According to this theory, observational learning is dependent on attention, retention, production, and motivation (Anderman & Anderman, 2009). Attention is needed because students must first be watching a behavior in order to learn it. Retention is needed in order to transform what is observed into something that can be used for later. Production is necessary in order for students to draw on stored conclusions and perform what they have learned, and motivation is needed in order for students to participate in any of these processes.
The second major concept is outcome expectations. These “reflect individuals’ beliefs about what consequences are most likely to ensue if particular behaviors are performed” (Anderman & Anderman, 2009). These beliefs are important in regard to the social cognitive theory because they help distinguish the decisions people make about what actions to take and what behaviors to suppress, based on their own past experiences and the observations of others. How often a behavior occurs depends on