Social cognitive theory focuses on the reciprocal interaction of the person, environment, and behavior and provides a description of the ways in which individuals initiate and maintain behaviors, taking into consideration their social environment. The main operative constructs in the theory are outcome expectancies and self-efficacy. Outcome expectancies pertain to the anticipated consequences of one’s actions. Self-efficacy reflects a subjective estimate of the amount of personal control an individual expects to have in any given situation. The theory has been applied as a basis for changing behavior in a wide variety of disciplines and settings, including sport, education, career and occupational development, and mental and physical health settings. Interventions have targeted change in self-efficacy, outcome expectancies, or both, assuming that an improvement in these beliefs translates to changes in behavioral outcomes. A considerable body of evidence supporting theory predictions has accumulated. Research has underscored the beneficial effects of such interventions on target behaviors and outcomes such as academic achievement, career promotion, job search, smoking cessation, participation in physical exercise, and eating a healthy diet across a broad array of populations and settings. The theory has been influential in the development of other theories that have adopted parts of it, in particular, the self-efficacy construct.

Before narrating this tenth chapter, Mrs. Gribbin scarfed down a plateful of beans in a revolting display of disgusting manners, stuffing her mouth with both hands, belching and grunting, slopping bean juice all over my table, and performing many other unmentionable acts. Later she explained that this had simply been to illustrate that social behaviors are acceptable, or not, for purely cultural reasons. Her narration goes on to describe how Bandura’s social/cognitive theory of observational learning provides a widely accepted explanation for social learning. The theory explains how some behaviors are controlled by stimuli, more are influenced of their outcomes, but the most important are those that are under symbolic control. Symbolic control processes have to do with our ability to anticipate the consequences of our actions and to control them. We are agents of our own behaviors, says Bandura. True, we are affected by our environments, by our own actions, and by personal factors such as mood or knowledge or intelligence. But each of these three factors affects the others in a sort of triadic reciprocal determinism. Do we really have free will, asks Mrs. Gribbin in one of her asides. Her answer: Do some research; think about it.