SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEROY:Symbolizing Capacity, MODELLING

<< CHALLENGING THE DOMINANT PARADIGM:Catharsis Social learning Social cognitive theory

MODELING FROM MASS MEDIA:Recent research, Summary, PRIMING EFFECTS >>

Theories of Communication MCM 511

LESSON 16

SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEROY

According to Albert Bandura, " social cognitive theory explains psychosocial functioning in terms of

triadic reciprocal causation , in this model of reciprocal determinism, behavior; cognitive, biological

and other personal factors; and environmental events all operate as interaction determinants that

influence each other bidirectionally

This theory explains human thought and actions as a process of TRIDAIC RECIPROCAL

CAUSATION.

This means that THOUGHT AND BEHAVIOR are determined by three different factors that interact

and influence each other with variable strength, at the same or at different times:

· Behavior

· Personal characteristics such a s cognitive and biological qualities (e.g. IQ, sex, or race)

· Environmental factors or events.

Baundra's social cognitive theory of mass communication the broader social learning theory serve as the

foundations for volumes of research in all areas of media effects study-

· Effects of media violence

· And sexually explicit material

· Pro-social or positive media effects

· Cultivation effects

· Persuasion

For the student of media effects, an understanding of Bandura's theory is therefore essential because the

serve as a common denominator among many other media effects theories and hypotheses.

Social cognitive theory emphasizes the importance of these uniquely human characteristics, known as

the

· Symbolizing capacity

· Self-regulatory capacity

· Self-reflective capacity

· Vicarious capacities (Bandura, 1994)

1. Symbolizing Capacity

Human communication is based upon a system of shared meanings known as language that is

constructed of various symbols.

These symbols occur at more than on conceptual level letters of the alphabet are symbols used to

construct words, e.g. and words serve as symbols to represent specific objects, thoughts, or ideas. The

capacity to understand and use these symbols allows people to store and process, and transform

observed experiences into cognitive models that guide them in future actions and decisions.

2. Self Regulatory Capacity

The self-regulatory capacity includes the concepts of motivation and evaluation.

People have the ability to motivate themselves to achieve certain goals. To motivate themselves to

achieve certain goals, they tend to evaluate their own behavior and respond accordingly. In this way,

behavior is self-directed and self regulated.

3. Self Reflective Capacity

This capacity involves the process of thought verification. It is the ability of a person to perform a self-

check to make sure his or her thinking, is correct. Bandura identified four different self-reflective

"modes" used in thought verification:

Theories of Communication MCM 511

Enactive

ii.

Vicarious

iii.

Persuasive

iv.

Logical modes

i. Enactive Mode

In the enactive mode a person assesses the agreement between thoughts and the results of actions.

Person's actions corroborate his/her thought and provide verifications.

ii. Vicarious Mode

In vicarious mode observation of another's experiences and the outcomes of those experiences serve to

confirm or refute the veracity of thoughts.

Example--suppose a woman thinks women are inferior and the TV comes in she watches Xena and

then her thoughts about female inferiority could be shocked into some kind of reassessment.

iii. Persuasive Mode

An effective advertisement serves as the best demonstration of the persuasive mode, especially a

commercial in which a person on the street is convinced to change brands. Despite the added cost, the

viewer might be persuaded by the decision of the person to purchase the product advertised.

iv. Logical Mode

It involves verification by which previously acquired rules of inference. Perhaps the person who was

convinced to try the new product liked it so much that he decided to try the higher-priced brands of

other types of products.

4. Vicarious Capacity

This is the ability to learn without direct experience, emphasizes the potential social impact of mass

media- for better or worse. As an example, of positive social impact the vicarious capacity allows a

person to learn all sorts of beneficial things by simply reading or watching a television program

presenting these pro-social behaviors. On the other hand on the negative side, people may witness and

learn certain antisocial behaviors to which they might not otherwise have been exposed.

OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING AND MODELING

Social learning and social cognitive theories place much emphasis on the concept of

OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING. A person observes other people's action and the consequences of

those actions, and learns from what has been observed. The learned behavior can then be reenacted by

the observer.

MODELLING

The phenomenon of behavior reenactment is called MODELLING. It is the acquisition of behaviors

through observation. It includes four component processes:

i. Attention

ii. Retention

iii. Motor reproduction

iv. Motivation

1. Attention

A person must pay attention to any behavior and perceive it accurately in order to model it successfully.

Example--the beginner cricketer watches the actions, listen to the instructions.

2. Retention

Modeled behavior must be remembered or retained in order to be used again; the permanent memory

stores the information by means of symbolic representations that subsequently can be converted into

actions. Example the beginner cricketer than remembers the instructions with the demonstrations

Theories of Communication MCM 511

3. Motor reproduction

At first motor reproduction may be difficult and even faulty as the beginner has to `think through' all the

various steps involved in making a successful swing.

The natural ability or the superior motor memory of the beginner largely determines the length of time

required for mastery of the modeled action.

4. Motivation

For various reasons, people are not always motivated to model the behaviors they learn. Motivation

becomes a major factor in the decision to use modeled behavior.

Three types of situations provide the incentives that motivate a person to model learned behavior.

Positive outcomes through direct performance of the behavior,

Observation of another's behavior and the subsequent outcome, and evaluation based upon personal

values or standards of behavior e.g. in his case , the child is motivated to avoid modeling the violent

behavior because he has witnessed a horrible outcome. (power rangers, kicking a boy) his internalized

standard of conduct has become more strict.

Abstract Modeling

New life situations require people to apply the rules of behavior learned in the past to the new and

different situations. Abstract modeling takes learning to a higher level than mere mimicry of observed

behavior and therefore offers many practical advantages.

Rules of behavior learned in the past serve as a guide for new life situations. These rules often provide

an abstract framework for decisions making in new situations.

Whenever a person observe behavior or receives information that conflicts with established patterns of

behavior or principles of conduct, the inner conflict causes a reexamination of motivations to perform

the established behavior. In other words, existing standards of behavior are not perfect or constant for

each new situation. A person is merely guided by the outcomes of his or her own past experiences or the

observed experiences of other people.

Abstract modeling takes learning to a new level than mere mimicry of observed behavior, new situations

generate new behaviors based upon the rules of behavior learned previously, these behaviors are

themselves learned and stored in memory for the future adaptation in other situations.

The use of abstract modeling offers many practical advantages. One acquires personal standards for

judging one's won motivations and behavior and those of others.

Abstract modeling also boosts critical thinking and communication skills.

(E.g. homemade cards for mother and it is improvised for the whole family

Effects of Modeling

Sometimes a person observes behavior or receives information that conflicts in some way with that

person's established pattern of behavior. Two major effects are associated with such situation-

inhibitory and disinhibitory effects.

Inhibitory Effects

Most studies on inhibitory and disinhibitory effect have examined transgressive, aggressive or sexual

behavior.

Inhibitory effects occur whenever new information or the observation of new behavior inhibits or

restrain a person from acting in a previously learned way.

Inhibitory effects occur whenever a person refrains from reprehensible conduct for fear of the

consequences.

So INHIBITORY EFFFECTS

Seeing a model punished from a behavior is sufficient to reduce the likelihood that the observer will

make that behavior.

Theories of Communication MCM 511

Disinhibitory effect disinhibits or lifts previously learned internal restraints on certain behaviors .E.g. a

smoker might decide to change his behavior if he sees his favorite uncle suffer miserably and die due to

excessive smoking. - Inhibitory effect.

When a girl decides to smoke coming from a family which considers smoking a taboo.

Disinhibitory effect

Seeing a model rewarded for a prohibited or threatening behavior increase the likelihood that the

observer will make that behavior. Disinhibitory effects lift previously learned internal restraints on

certain behaviors.

Modeling from mass media

Modeling from mass media, then is an efficient way to learn wide range of behavior and solution to

problems that we otherwise learn slowly or not at all, or pay too high a price to learn in the actual

environment. And according to Bandura things people experience in their environments e.g. mass media

can affect people's behaviors and that affect is influenced by various personal factors specific to those

people.

Table of Contents: