Social Cognitive Theory

Social Cognitive Theory

Knowledge

Social cognitive theory

> BANDURA renamed social learning theory as social cognitive theory to emphasise the role of cognitive factors in learning.

> In this theory the source of info is social (parents & peers) & what's learned is a cognition, something stored in the mind.

> BANDURA proposed that gender role development is the result of learning from social agents who model & reinforce gender role behaviours.

Indirect reinforcement -

> Indirect reinforcement = children observe the behaviour of others & learn the consequences of the behaviour - this info is stored as an expectancy of future outcome - learning such behaviours is the result of imitation/modelling.

Direct reinforcement -

> Direct reinforcement = although boys & girls may learn the characteristic behaviours of both sexes, they don't perform everything they learn (what they learn doesn't always directly affect them).

Direct tuition -

> Direct tuition = kids learn through vicarious reinforcement but also through explicit instructions about appropriate  gender behaviour - begins as kids acquire linguistic skills & serves as a way…