Albert Bandura Social Cognitive Theory

2. HOW ATTENTIVE ARE YOU?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahg6qcgoay4

3. WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
According to social cognitive theory, knowledge acquisition is
related to observing others within social interactions, experiences
and outside influences – people learn behaviors by replicating the
actions of others
• Bandura believes traditional learning theories overlooked social
influences on learning
• Places more emphasis on cognitive factors such as
expectations, beliefs and motivation in addition to social
influences
• Learning is dependent on people serving as models and
teachers

4. TRIADIC CAUSATION MODEL: LEARNING AS A
RESULT OF MUTUAL INTERACTIONS BETWEEN PERSONAL,
BEHAVIORAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
B - actions, choices, verbal
statements, persistence,
motivation
P – Beliefs, attitudes,
knowledge, goals, efficacy,
self regulation, biological
events, emotions
E – Instruction, other people,
consequences, physical
setting, resources
Environment
Behavioral
Personal

5. ACTIVITY
• Within table groups discuss
- any additional factors you would add under each of the
headings
- how the factors are applicable to the classroom setting
- which heading you as a group think is most important
• Nominate a speaker to present your findings to the class

6. ELEMENTS OF OBSERVATIONAL
LEARNING
Bandura (1986) noted observational learning includes four elements:
1) Attention 2)Retention
3) Reproduction 4)Motivation & Reinforcement
Throughout today’s presentation and activities keep in mind these
four elements elements
Reference: Bandura, A 1986, Social foundations of thought and
action, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall

7. • Banduras first study of observational learning – bobo dolls focused
on imitating aggression
• Results were groundbreaking for the time
• Later extended the study to aggressive behavior on television at a
time when televisions were becoming household items
• The relationship between external forces like television and behavior
are still complicated and continue to be researched
• Social learning theories are often discussed when talking about
media and the effects of exposure on learning

8. WHAT IS SELF-EFFICACY?
• Bandura (1997) define it as: ‘beliefs in one’s capabilities to organise and
execute the courses of action required to produce given attainments’
• Self-efficacy is the perception of one’s ability to perform a task
successfully
Reference: Bandura, A 1997, Self-efficacy: The exercise of control,
New York, Academic Press.

9. DIFFERENT FROM…
• Self-concept: Individuals knowledge
and beliefs about themselves and their
ideas, feelings, attitudes and
expectations
• Self-esteem: The value each of us
places on our own characteristics,
abilities and behaviours

10. IN A NUT SHELL
Self-efficacy:
*Context specific assessment *Future orientated
*Competence for a specific task *Strong predictor of behaviour
*Judgement of personal capabilities
Self-concept:
*Global construct *Result of external and internal comparisons
*Contains many perceptions (including self-efficacy)
Self-esteem:
*judgements of self worth,
*no relationship between esteem and efficacy.

11. SELF-EFFICACY SOURCES AND INFLUENCES
Bandura identified four sources of self-efficacy
1. Mastery Experience
2. Level of Arousal
3. Vicarious Experiences
4. Social Persuasion
* High self-efficacy is strongly related to high motivation and vice versa

12. 1. Mastery Experiences
• Own direct experiences
• Considered the post powerful source
2. Level of arousal
• Bodily and emotional responses
• Anxious + worried =↓self-efficacy
• Excited + ‘Psyched’ =↑ self-efficacy

13. 3. Vicarious Experiences
• Someone else models accomplishments
• The closer the identification with modal the greater impact
• Model performs well = ↑ self-efficacy
• Model preforms poorly =↓self-efficacy
4. Social persuasion
• ‘Pep talk’ or specific feedback
• helps to make effort, attempt new strategies or try enough to succeed
• Counter setbacks
Reference: Keyser, V & Barling, J 1981, ‘Determinants of children’s self-
efficacy beliefs in an academic environment’, Cognitive Therapy and
Research, vol.5, no.1 , pp. 29-40

14. SELF-EFFICACY AND MOTIVATION:
Greater efficacy→ greater effort
and persistence
Influences goal setting:
 higher self-efficacy= higher goals set,
less afraid of failure and more open to
finding new strategies
 Lower self-efficacy = avoid tasks
altogether or give up easily when
problem arises

15. ACTIVITY: LEARNING A VOLLEYBALL
DIG
• Whilst engaging in this activity consider your own personal learning
experience
• Split into groups of 3
Key cues of Volleyball dig
1. Eyes watch the ball
2. Both arms out palms facing up
3. Make a fist with your left hand thumb on top, and cover the left fist
with your right hand
4. Without ball: Knees bent to start with
5. With ball: Shrug shoulders and straighten knees (no swinging at
ball)

16. ACTIVITY
• Together with person next to you practice reading the sayings out
loud
• Consider the reasons you may or may not be comfortable engaging
in this activity
• You will not be expected to read the sentences aloud to the class –
just practice in your pairs

17. VOLLYBALL ACTIVITY EXPLAINED
• Self-efficacy: being told how to VS being shown (modeling)
• Importance of self-efficacy and elements of observational Learning
as a PE Teacher and planning lessons and the

18. • Bandura believes that self-efficacy comes from six principal sources
of information:
performance accomplishment
imagined experience
physiological states
verbal persuasion
emotion states
• These sources are not mutually exclusive and some are more
influential than others
Reference: Weinberg R & Gould, D 2011, Foundations of Sport and
Exercise Psychology, 5th ed , Human kinetics, Champaign, IL.

19. Performance
Accomplishment
Verbal Persuasion
Vicarious
Experiences
(modelling)
Imaginal Experiences
Emotional states
Physiological States
Efficacy
Expectations
Learning
&
Performance
Reference: Weinberg R & Gould, D 2011, Foundations of Sport and
Exercise Psychology, 5th ed , Human kinetics, Champaign, IL.
Relationship between sources of
self-efficacy information, efficacy
expectations and learning &
performance

20. CLASSROOM APPLICATION
Learning through observation – demonstrate and model ideas and skills
Present a diverse range of models which challenge learners thinking
Enforce social learning through role play, debate and mind maps
Use intrinsic reinforcement; pride and a sense of accomplishment as a
form of reward
Be a good role model – never underestimate how your actions affect
others

21. THINGS TO REMEMBER
• Self-efficacy alone can’t make students learn
• Self-efficacy affects students choice of activities, level of effort and
their persistence.
Graham & Weiner (1996) note 3 strategies to
help with self-efficacy:
 Adopt short-term goals
 Use specific learning strategies
 Receive rewards based on achievement not just engagement
Remember: All students are different

22. “It is our duty as human beings
to proceed as though the limits
of our capabilities do not exist”
- Teilhard de Chardin