Feist−Feist: Theories of
Personality, Seventh
EditionV. Learning Theories 16. Bandura: Social
Cognitive Theory© The McGraw−Hill^507
Companies, 2009much aggressive behavior as did those in the control group. In addition, the particular
kind of aggressive response was remarkably similar to that displayed by the adult
models. Children scolded, kicked, punched, and hit the doll with a mallet in close im-
itation to the behavior that had been modeled.
This study, now more than 40 years old, was conducted at a time when people
still debated the effects of television violence on children and adults. Some people
argued that viewing aggressive behaviors on television would have a cathartic effect
on children: That is, children who experienced aggression vicariously would have lit-
tle motivation to act in an aggressive manner. The study by Bandura, Ross, and Ross
(1963) offered some of the earliest experimental evidence that TV violence does not
curb aggression; rather, it produces additional aggressive behaviors.
Therapy
According to Bandura, deviant behaviors are initiated on the basis of social cogni-
tive learning principles, and they are maintained because, in some ways, they con-
tinue to serve a purpose. Therapeutic change, therefore, is difficult because it in-
volves eliminating behaviors that are satisfying to the person. Smoking, overeating,
and drinking alcoholic beverages, for example, generally have positive effects ini-
tially, and their long-range aversive consequences are usually not sufficient to pro-
duce avoidance behavior.
The ultimate goal of social cognitive therapy is self-regulation (Bandura,
1986). To achieve this end, the therapist introduces strategies designed to induce spe-
cific behavioral changes, to generalize those changes to other situations, and to
maintain those changes by preventing relapse.
The first step in successful therapy is to instigate some change in behavior. For
example, if a therapist is able to extinguish fear of height in a previously acrophobic
person, then change has been induced and that person will have no fear of climbing
a 20-foot ladder. A more important level of therapy is to generalize specific changes.
For example, the acrophobic person not only will be able to ascend a ladder but also
will be able to ride in airplanes or look out windows of tall buildings. Some thera-
pies induce change and facilitate generalization, but in time, the therapeutic effects
are lost and the person reacquires the dysfunctional behavior. This relapse is partic-
ularly likely when people are extinguishing maladaptive habits such as smoking and
overeating. The most effective therapy reaches the third level of accomplishment,
which is maintenance of newly acquired functional behaviors.
Bandura (1986) has suggested several basic treatment approaches. The first in-
cludes overt or vicarious modeling. People who observe live or filmed models per-
forming threatening activities often feel less fear and anxiety and are then able to
perform those same activities.
In a second treatment mode, covert or cognitive modeling,the therapist trains
patients to visualize models performing fearsome behaviors. Overt and covert mod-
eling strategies are most effective, however, when combined with performance-
oriented approaches.
A third procedure, called enactive mastery,requires patients to perform those
behaviors that previously produced incapacitating fears. Enactment, however, is not
Chapter 16 Bandura: Social Cognitive Theory 501