1 Psychology 3260: Personality & Social Development Don Hartmann Spring 2006 Lecture 8: © Bandura

2 Bandura References dex.html dex.html Selected influential books from each decade  Adolescent aggression (1959, with R. Walters)  Social learning and personality development (1963, with R. Walters)  Aggression: Social learning analysis (1973)  Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory (1986)  Self-efficacy: The exercise of control (1997)

3 Overview of Bandura Lecture Introduction to Bandura Early Social Learning Theory Current Social Cognitive Theory Evaluation Summary

4 The MAN!

5 Introduction 4 th most influential psychologist of the 20 th century (see my bulletin board)  Distinguished Professor at Stanford  Past President of the American Psychological Association (APA)  On this campus, mentor of Donna Gelfand & Don Hartmann An important advocate and developer of Social Learning Theory, which has been transformed into Social Cognitive Theory

6 The Characteristics of Bandura’s (early) Theory with Emphasis on Learning Early version (Social Learning Theory) emphasized the means by which we acquire behavior: Learning…  Operant Conditioning  Classical (Pavlovian) Conditioning  But especially, Imitation

7 More on Imitation as a Process Basic rather than derived process Steps in process—any of which can go wrong if “imitation fails”:  Attending to the model  Coding the behavior into memory (visual vs. abstract)  Retrieving the coded behavior  Performance of the behavior  Role of incentives

8 Imitation May Not Always Be Desirable

9 More on the Characteristics of Bandura’s (early) Theory with Emphasis on Learning Distinguished between learning & performance We often, and incorrectly, infer what a child knows from what the child does

10 Learning Vs. Performance

11 Still More of the Characteristics of Bandura’s (early) Theory with Emphasis on Social Context Early version (Social Learning Theory) emphasized the social context in which learning occurred Social variables are important in determining what we learn, how much, etc.

12 Social Cognitive Theory In general, people are viewed as self- organizing, proactive, self-reflecting and self-regulating rather than as reactive organisms shaped and shepherded by environmental forces or driven by concealed inner impulses

13 Social Cognitive Theory: General Characteristics Importance of Cognitive Processes  how we label ourselves;  how we think about ourselves and talk to ourselves  our ATTRIBUTIONS (what we say or think) about the causes of our and other’s behavior and the like  how we expect to perform: our EFFICACY ‑ EXPECTATIONS

14 Self Efficacy ? Definition: Our expectations for success. Efficacy expectations determine the effort and persistence we display in our behavior. Efficacy expectations develop as a function of: vicarious, direct, and symbolic instructional experiences.

15 Social Cognitive Theory: Importance of Self-Processes Importance of Self Processes— particularly self regulation  self ‑ monitoring  standard-setting  self ‑ reinforcement  Self-reflection Think of how much of your behavior is controlled by self processes—perhaps that were once external (e.g., performed by parents)

16 Other Emphases: Nurture over Nature From Bandura: In lower mammalian species, for example, sexual activities are completely regulated by gonadal hormones; among primates sexual behavior is partially independent of physiological stimulation; while human eroticism is exceedingly variable and essentially independent of hormonal regulation....thus, one would induce sexual behavior in a rodent Don Juan by administering androgen, whereas presenting him lascivious pictures of a well ‑ endowed mouse would have no stimulating effects whatsoever. By contrast, one would rely on sexually ‑ valenced social stimuli, rather than on hormonal injections for producing erotic arousal in human males.

17 Other Emphases: Continuities over Stages Abrupt changes in behavior seen only with abrupt changes in controlling stimuli ‑‑ either environmental or self induced

18 Other Emphases: Philosophical Origins Reaction to  psychoanalytic theory  the more sterile aspects of Skinner's positions, and  philosophical rather than empirical approach to psychology. Stresses Reciprocal Causation involving Person, Environment, and Behavior--triadic reciprocity

19 Reciprocal Causation: Behavior, the Person, & the Environment Preference for violent TV Watching Attentively Acting Aggressively Violent TV

20 A Bandurian Analysis of a Child’s Moral Behavior Standards (models) child exposed to?  Direct  Vicarious  Symbolic Consequences for truth-telling and dishonesty—dispensed by others & self Labeling—by others & self Consistency of treatment across settings

21 Evaluation of Bandura  Weaknesses:  Not heavily developmental  Underplays role of genetic and maturational variables  Strengths  Strong on science  Important emphasis on cognitive & self processes.  Important implications for child rearing, education, etc.

22 Summary of Bandura The Old: Social Learning Theory The New: Social Cognitive Theory Major Emphases Strengths & Weaknesses Next: Lecture #9: Piaget Go in Peace