Chapter 17 Bandura: Social Cognitive Theory 527∙ Enactive learning takes place when our responses produce consequences.
∙ Human functioning is a product of the mutual interaction of
environmental events, behavior, and personal factors, a model called
triadic reciprocal causation.
∙ Chance encounters and fortuitous events are two important
environmental factors that influence people’s lives in unplanned and
unexpected ways.
∙ Human agency means that people can and do exercise a measure of
control over their lives.
∙ Self-efficacy refers to people’s belief that they are capable of performing
those behaviors that can produce desired outcomes in a particular
situation.
∙ Proxy agency occurs when people have the capacity to rely on others for
goods and services.
∙ Collective efficacy refers to the confidence that groups of people have
that their combined efforts will produce social change.
∙ People have some capacity for self-regulation, and they use both
external and internal factors to self-regulate.
∙ External factors provide us with standards for evaluating our behavior
as well as external reinforcement in the form of rewards received from
others.
∙ Internal factors in self-regulation include (1) self-observation,
(2) judgmental processes, and (3) self-reaction.
∙ Through selective activation and disengagement of internal control,
people can separate themselves from the injurious consequences of their
actions.
∙ Four principal techniques of selective activation and disengagement of
internal control are (1) redefining behavior, (2) displacing or diffusing
responsibility, (3) disregarding or distorting the consequences of
behavior, and (4) dehumanizing or blaming the victims for their injuries.
∙ Dysfunctional behaviors, such as depression, phobias, and aggression,
are acquired through the reciprocal interaction of environment, personal
factors, and behavior.
∙ Social cognitive therapy emphasizes cognitive mediation, especially
perceived self-efficacy.