Portrait of Psychologist - - Albert Bandura 1. Portrait of Psychologist: Albert Bandura

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1 Portrait of Psychologist - - Albert Bandura 1 Introduction: Portrait of Psychologist: Albert Bandura Albert Bandura said, Accomplishment is socially judged by ill-defined criteria so that one has to rely on others to find out how one is doing (Albert Bandura, n.d.). Bandura s belief in observing and learning from others shaped the field of psychology in ways that are still seen today - - this belief became one of the tenants of social cognitive theory. In order to fully understand Bandura and his theory, it is important to look at the following key aspects: the history of Bandura, social cognitive theory, Bandura s seminal piece Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control, and finally, social cognitive theory s impact on the field of education. The History of Albert Bandura: An insight into Bandura s history is crucial to understanding the beginnings of social cognitive theory. Bandura was born in 1925 as the youngest of six children to Eastern European immigrants (Faster, 2006). He grew-up in a small farming community near Edmonton, Alberta, Canada during the depression-era (Foster, 2006; Boswell, 2007). A large immigrant family living in a rural area during the depression did not have a lot of options or resources. Bandura considered the church and pool hall as the two strongest institutional influences throughout his childhood (Foster, 2006). An educational institution was not a strong influence since neither parent was formally educated. Even though she lacked a formal education, his mother used to tell him, You have a choice you can work in the field and get drunk in the beer parlor, or you might get an education (Foster, 2006). After high school, Bandura made the choice to get an education. He enrolled at the University of British Columbia, where he commuted to school every day (Foster, 2006). As a commuter, Bandura had a significant amount of downtime throughout his day. It was during this downtime that Bandura discovered psychology. After completing his undergraduate education in

2 Portrait of Psychologist - - Albert Bandura 2 psychology, Bandura continued on to the University of Iowa, which, at the time, was considered the ultimate destination to study psychology (Foster, 2006). In Iowa, Bandura met his future wife. He received his PhD in 1952, and he and his wife then relocated to Stanford University in 1953 to begin his career (Forster, 2006).The Stanford position was originally a one-year instructor job, but before the completion of the year, he was offered a tenure-track position (Foster, 2006). This offer would enable Bandura to live out the rest of his career at Stanford. While at Stanford, Bandura completed all of the research in which his is still famous. Some of his famous research includes the Bobo doll experiment in 1961 (Boswell, 2007). Through such experiments, Bandura founded social cognitive theory. As a result of social cognitive theory, he was the 2007 winner of the Gravemeyer Award for Psychology - - one of psychology s greatest scholarly awards (Boswell, 2007). His research has also earned him the title of one of the world s greatest living psychology theorists. Bandura is ranked with Sigmund Freud, B. F. Skinner, and Jean Piaget as the four most influential psychologists of the 20 th century (Haggbloom, 2002). He is still one of the most cited psychologists despite the development of newer theories. Today, Bandura is still an active member of the psychology and educational community. He is a psychologist and the David Starr Jordan Professor Emeritus of Social Science in Psychology at Stanford University (Charles A. Dana Center, 2013). He spends his days juggling commitments that vary from writing, working on book endorsements, and preparing lectures. His seminars at Stanford are so full that many students sit on the floor (Foster, 2006). Learners and educators value Bandura s research and take any available opportunity to listen to him as a direct source of information. Social Cognitive Theory:

3 Portrait of Psychologist - - Albert Bandura 3 Based on Bandura s personal background and experiences, he began to form his own ideas about behavior that differed from his predecessors. Bandura believed that the learning process was more fluid than social learning theory. Social learning theory took root in the 1930s and explained how behaviors are acquired through external interactions (Foster, 2006). In 1961, he began the Bobo doll experiments. In the experiments, researchers physically and verbally abused a five-foot inflatable doll in front of preschoolers (Foster, 2006). The children later mimicked the researchers behavior. As a result of the experiment, modeling became the core of Bandura s thoughts (Foster, 2006). Accompanying modeling, Bandura developed the idea that self-efficacy (the belief in one s capabilities) can influence a person s environment and outcomes (Foster, 2006). This idea became social cognitive theory, which specifically is that a person s behavior, environment, and inner qualities interact rather than one of them being predominant in explaining how people function (Foster, 2006). Behavior then is learned from the environment through the process of observational learning. In observational learning, the observed individuals are known as models which provide examples for behaviors such as masculine and feminine behavior to observe and imitate (McLeod, 2011). The reinforcement of imitated behavior can be external or internal, positive or negative. Reinforcement has little impact on behavior if reinforcement does not externally match an individual s needs (McLeod, 2011). Frank Pajares said that with the social cognitive theory that Bandura created was one of the few grand theories that continues to thrive at the beginning of the twenty-first century (Foster, 2006). Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control: Bandura s Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control further explains social cognitive theory, specifically in regards to self-efficacy. The book explains self-efficacy, ways it can be

4 Portrait of Psychologist - - Albert Bandura 4 developed, the impact of one s beliefs towards personal abilities, and applications for selfefficacy. The book begins with a look at the nature of human agency. According to Bandura, thought processes are emergent brain activities, as well as determinative influences (Bandura, 1997). Bandura asserts that human agency operates within a three-way influence between internal personal factors, behavior, and the external environment - - this influence is known as triadic reciprocal causation (Bandura, 1997). An understanding of triadic reciprocal causation assists in understanding the nature of self-efficacy. An individual s behavior can be better predicted by their beliefs in their capabilities rather than by the abilities they have previously demonstrated. Bandura then moves into describing the nature and sources of self-efficacy. In regard to self-efficacy, an individual s perceptions hold more influence to human competence than ability or intelligence (Bandura, 1997). Beliefs and perceptions fluctuate based on individual strength during specific events and the level of challenge. Self-efficacy is derived from four sources: enactive mastery experience, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion, and physiological/affective states (Bandura, 1997). A breakdown of the sources of self-efficacy help to better understand the impact a person s perceptions can have on their behavior. The sources of self-efficacy are mediated by cognitive, motivational, affective, and selection processes (Bandura, 1997). These mediating influences also affect an individual s self-efficacy perceptions. The last major part of self-efficacy that Bandura describes is centered on an individual s personal sources of self-efficacy perceptions. Sources such as family, school, and peers influence an individual s sense of validation. Bandura also addresses the changes that occur in self-efficacy perceptions throughout adulthood.

5 Portrait of Psychologist - - Albert Bandura 5 The last sections of the book focus on the relevance of self-efficacy to specific areas such as cognitive functioning, health functioning, clinical functioning, athletic functioning, and organizational functioning (Bandura, 1997). Social Cognitive Theory s impact on Education: Bandura s social cognitive theory has had an enormous impact on the educational field. For learners, self-efficacy paired with the willingness to persist in times of struggle is critical for achieving academic success. On the other hand, learners with limited self-efficacy do not believe in their success and fail to continue. Bandura s research shows that self-efficacy rather than previously determined achievement and ability determine the effort put forth, perseverance, and greater end achievement results. Furthermore, social cognitive theory has been used to develop a set of collective beliefs among educators. In certain settings, educators can collectively believe in the capabilities of learners and their capability to learn - - the impact is an enhancement in the lives of learners. In this collective system, administrators and policy makers work to create environments conducive to learning. Social cognitive theory has also impacted education by changing the way that educators approach learners. Many educators have come to understand that improving a learner s perception positively while nurturing their self-efficacy beliefs can also positively impact a learner s success. Rather than judging individuals on their past abilities and outcomes, many educators begin anew with learners and work towards building confidence. The field of education has learned that positivity and positive reinforcements yield better results than a punitive and negative system.

6 Portrait of Psychologist - - Albert Bandura 6 Finally, social cognitive theory introduced different modeling practices into the classroom. From Bandura and his theory, educators realized that learners need models - - adults models as well as peer models. This has brought about modeling in such forms as demonstrations, peer-led teaching lessons, and an understanding that educators hold positions of power which can influence the decisions of learners. Conclusion: Bandura said, Social systems that cultivate competencies, provide aidful resources and allow ample room for self-directedness, increase the chances that people will realize what they wish to become (Charles A. Dana Center, 2013). Learners must believe that their actions can produce desirable outcomes. Self-perceptions affect all aspects of an individual s life - - their productivity, motivation, vulnerability, and life choices. Strong self-efficacy beliefs played a major role in Bandura s life. He was the youngest in a poor, uneducated family, but he did not allow his circumstances to affect his life outcome. Through his own experiences and his dislike of the available psychological theories, Bandura set out to find a new theory. The result was social cognitive theory, which continues to play a significant role in the fields of psychology and education.

7 Portrait of Psychologist - - Albert Bandura 7 References Albert Bandura. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com Retrieved from BrainyQuote.com. Website: Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: W. H. Freeman. Boswell, R. (2007). Canadian-born psychology legend wins $200,000 prize. Vancouver Sun, 6 December. Charles A. Dana Center. (2013). Albert Bandura. Learning & the Adolescent Mind, University of Texas at Austin & Agile Mind, Inc. Foster, C. (2006). Confidence man. Stanford Magazine, September/October. Retrieved from alumni.stanford.edu/get/page/magazine/article/?article_id=33332 Haggbloom, S. J. (2002). The 100 most eminent psychologists of the 20 th century. Review of General Psychology, 6(2), McLeod, S. A. (2011). Albert Bandura: Social learning theory. Simply Psychology. Retrieved from