Introduction
In its simplest terms, personality refers to a dynamic and classified set of traits possessed by any person. A person’s personality is his or her distinctiveness. The characteristic of an individual uniquely affects his or her inspirations, cognitions, and conducts in various circumstances. Otherwise, neurologist Paul Roe came up with a more logical meaning of personality.
He defines personality as “an individual’s tendency to reflect certain patterns of ideas, thus holding to a specific pattern of behavior” (Nga & Sears, 2010, p. 1457). The field of personality psychology extends from comparatively easy experimental findings, through variations between individuals to a relatively philosophical exploration of life. Nevertheless, personality philosophers seem much often concerned with the unities among the persons.
Since a theory helps in controlling, comprehending, explicating and predicting the reality, personality theories are those theories, which try to categorize people into distinct groups in terms of traits. In studying personality, verbal models come in handy. The personality theories comprise of the Locus of control, Personal Construct Psychology (PCP), Humanistic, Bio-psychological, Psychoanalytic, behaviorist and social cognitive theories (Barker & Gower, 2010, p. 297).
The concern of the paper is in the latter: the social cognitive theory. In this theory, people describe the behavior as directed by the expectations in the world. Cognitive theories of personality accentuate the cognitive processes like judgments and thoughts. The paper seeks to discuss the applications of social cognitive theory in skills and techniques, communication, basic problem-solving, ethnic diversity and its establishments using the helping relationship.
Skills and techniques
In social cognitive theory, the behavioral ability gives the facts and skills required in forming the desired behavior thus promoting mastery studying.
A person can easily learn and retain the skills acquired through observation (Bitektine, 2011, p. 155). The social cognitive theory clarifies the concepts under which people obtain and or uphold certain behavioral patterns. The significance of such sequence of patterns is inevitable in the acquisition and application of skills. Otherwise, it also provides the foundation for intervention techniques that equips an individual with the correct techniques of reaching a solution to a specified problem.
Assessing behavioral changes relies on the environmental aspects and the people’s behavior. Social cognitive theory presents skills and methods for planning, applying and evaluating different programs (Shu-ling & Lin, 2007, p. 602). The environmental issues that provide the framework for understanding a behavior are ether physical or social. Moreover, the social cognitive theory comprehends the mental signs of the environment, which influence an individual’s behavior.
People may not be able to have a good perception of time, places and physical activities especially if they do not have cognitive skills. The environment may not constantly influence a certain behavior.
Instead, it stands a chance to provide models for behavior. ‘‘Observational learning occurs when an individual observes the deeds of another person and the reinforcements, which the person obtains’’ (Barker & Gower, 2010, p. 299). The ability of one’s behavior suggests that if a person is to execute a given observed conducts, he or she must acquaint himself or herself with the skills of performing it.
In teaching, modeling is very important. It gives an alternative way of shaping and teaching new ideas. Operant conditioning uses unreliable shaping unlike social cognitive theory where modeling provides a faster and a more efficient technique for teaching new behavior.
Otherwise, to promote effective modeling, teachers should make sure ‘‘that attention, retention, motor reproduction, and motivation’’ exist (Nga & Sears, 2010, p. 1460). Self-regulation systems often give an effective method for improving the behavior of student. Nurturing an individual’s acceptable conducts requires not only skills and techniques as provided by the theory, but also good life skills for retention for instance communication skills.
Communication
The Social cognitive theory is applicable to health communication because it deals with the poignant, cognitive and behavioral facets in understanding behavioral transmutations. The principles and concepts of the social cognitive theory provide techniques for innovative behavioral investigation in health education (Sheldon & Kennedy, 2008, p. 390).
For instance, patients may perhaps create questions, which communicate their distress to health practitioners. Moreover, doctors employ self-efficacy ideas of social cognitive theory in helping patients drop some undesired behaviors using internal controls. In health reports, the theory supposes that people are more willing to believe in the information from others with similar conditions. As a result, the pain they suffer from reduces.
Social cognitive theory finds its application in marketing and mass media. For instance, in marketing, one can use celebrities ‘‘to endorse and introduce a given product to a certain demographics’’ (Bitektine, 2011, p. 159). The media also uses social cognitive theory to promote the improvement of socioeconomic status and education in the developing nations. The theory stems the intended and unintended media effects. In addressing the issue, the theory illustrates the influences the media has in determining the audience actions and conducts.
The media educates people on undesirable behaviors through entertainments and health campaigns (Wingreen & Blanton, 2007, p. 630). Consequently, majority will not be willing to engage in risky activities as those associated with punishment. Otherwise, when the media airs a harmful action without consequences, it may only strengthen the unwanted behaviors. Therefore, there is the need for it to participate much in solving rather than enhancing the evident behavioral problems.
Basic problem solving
In social cognitive theory, a person transfers the skills and knowledge acquired to solving various problems. Learning is speeded up when a person is able to examine the behaviors of others who are comparable to them (Bitektine, 2011, p. 162).
Since the materials are within the socio-cultural awareness of the user, learning experience becomes more successful thereby boosting the possibility of the knowledge used in solving basic problems. Social cognitive theory also provides tactics used to cope with problems related to stress. Otherwise, a stress can adversely affect a person especially if he or she is not vanished with solution to such effects.
Learning occurs when a person reflects upon and internalizes his or her accomplishments and failures. For instance, an individual can easily read a book on driving a car; however, he or she completes the learning only if the learner really drives successfully (Barker & Gower, 2010, p. 300).
The social cognitive theory postulates that a person completes learning when he or she reaches a solution to the related challenges. Through social cognitive theory, the learner will identify his or her ability to complete a challenging task. The theory provides a system that permits the learner to apply the information correctly and consistently in solving a problem.
Self-regulation allows a person to organize his or her response when faced with externally inflicted stimuli. In order for behavioral adjustments to occur, the person must receive the feedback. In a learning setup, feedback techniques reinforce a behavior such that if the conduct is undesirable, then it is stopped (Nga & Sears, 2010, p. 1465).
Otherwise, the feedback becomes more sophisticated as the learners’ ability improve, thus enabling them improve and master the task. For instance, if the problem is to learn how to drive, the leaner needs to get a car on the road and apply the speed limits and signaling to achieve some good driving habits.
Ethnic diversity
People live in socio-cultural environment, which varies with their shared principles, conventions and social practices. Notwithstanding, they differ in their particular brands of individualism.
Social cognitive theory compares the cultural differences from socialist to individualistic points of view. Moreover, the emotional mechanisms learnt in ‘‘a stimuli-response environment conducive to self-efficacy and observational learning remains facilitated by incorporating multimedia expressions of culturally responsive examples’’ (Shu-ling & Lin, 2007, p. 605).
In addition, the social cognitive theory helps in fostering good understanding between members of different ethnic backgrounds. Understanding and appreciating one’s culture creates harmonious existence of the people. As such, the complexity of the social problems reduces consequently due to the social theory.
The diversity of the cultures makes them become dynamic social systems. The intercultural difference and intra-individual variation in the psychological orientation across the subject of functioning depicts cultural dynamism. The theory supposes that a person learns from others with similar traits (Barker & Gower, 2010, p. 306).
It thus seeks to find techniques of shaping human behavior in an advantageous manner. For instance, through social cognitive theory, schoolchildren learn desirable and undesirable social behaviors and morals by observing the conducts of different ethnic groups.
The laxity and contextualization expresses the provisions of an individual’s behavior in a socially acceptable manner. Imitating and filtering values of a certain ethnic group is significant in promoting good morals in the society. Therefore, it encourages a communal life rather than eroding it. A person with ‘‘resilient efficacy and strong pro-social purpose often subordinates self-interest to the benefit of others’’ (Sheldon & Kennedy, 2008, p. 392).
For instance, parents in deprived environment with resilient source of efficiency decline to have their children development dictated by unfavorable circumstances. They therefore pass their influence on to things, which matter through imaginative effort and self-sacrifices.
The adversities besiege people especially in an attempt to change their lives for the better through joint effort. Social cognitive conjecture eliminates dualism between personal action and ethereal collective configuration due to racial gusto.
Since poverty is a socioeconomic aspect, which does not work in secluded causation, financial circumstances and family makeup influence behavior through their impacts on people’s sense of worth and aspirations. As people imitate the behavior of others, the theory promotes the spirit of sharing and peaceful coexistence of the groups. As a result, they nurture suitable methods of eradicating poverty-related problems.
Establishments using the helping relationship
The ethics that and individual places on a given result and intrinsic motivation are very important. The significance of incentives in fostering a good can should be overemphasized. There are several opportunities ‘‘for self-monitoring, goal setting, problem solving, and self-reward’’ (Wingreen & Blanton, 2007, p.643).
Such prospects become important in understanding the relationship between the concepts. The social cognitive theory uses relationships that often relate to the societal problems. Precise and reliable approaches thus give solution to such challenges.
The acquisition of behavior occurs by examination of the deeds and effects of others’ manners, which include realistic role models of the targeted group. A person’s action that changes the likelihood of reoccurrence promotes self-initiated incentives (Sheldon & Kennedy, 2008, p. 396). He or she becomes confident in performing a particular behavior; by applying relationships and methods, which ensure success. However, the negative relationships might still exist between the expected result and the presentation.
Conclusion
Social cognitive theory principally rejects behaviorism. As such, it decreases behaviorism from complex human conduct to simple cause and effect. Conversely, the propensity in times of yore has been to amalgamate the two into an ample speculation (Bitektine, 2011, p. 178).
Notwithstanding, therapists employ the techniques from social cognitive and behaviorist theories to help their clients. Social cognitive theory is simply a subset of cognitive theory whose concerns is mostly on the manners in which people learn to model the behavior of others. Teachers and parents must model appropriate behaviors and take care that they do not model inappropriate behaviors. In education, teachers should expose learners to a range of models, which provide important techniques of smashing conformist stereotypes.
The theory has various applications. The advertisements campaign in peer pressure circumstances uses social cognitive theory especially when reinforcing a certain acceptable behavior. In addition, it is helpful in the ‘‘treatment of psychological disorders including phobias’’ (Wingreen & Blanton, 2007, p. 647).
Social cognitive theory can also be helpful in ensuring successful AIDS campaign particularly with a suitable age group, proper gender and ethnicity. The adolescents will learn and understand because of peer influence. The conviction in a person’s personal ability often does not produce genuine assistances especially if the person requires a certain skill stage. Therefore, one cannot rely on a single theory to make a realistic conclusion of personality, as all the theories seem interrelated.
References
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Nga, E., & Sears, G. (2010). The Effect of Adverse Impact in Selection Practices on Organizational Diversity. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 21(9), pp. 1454-1471.
Sheldon, L., & Kennedy, E. (2008). Application of a model of Social Information Processing Nursing Theory: How Nurses Respond to Patients. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 64(4), pp. 388-398.
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