Social Cognitive Theory Essay

Social cognitive theory is the most influential psychological theory of the modern time. This theory is presented by the leading and distinguished psychologist Dr. Albert Bandura. He critically observes the human behavior and personality. He figures out the authoritative and dominating factors that shape the person 's personality, thinking, cognition and motivational processes. According to Mulhollem,"Bandura simply observing the others and incorporating this concept into his theory".

Goffman does not deny what traditional symbolic interactionists argue. Instead he is more interested in how the presence of other individuals, social arrangements, social order, social hierarchy and the interaction order shape the image of ones ‘self’. Goffman studied & explored the nature of ones self and its relation to the broader moral codes & social attidudes that shape agents interaction

Historically, the study of motivation is the result of the analysis of behavior from the causes of behavior. Conversely, the attribution theory deduces the cause of behavior from behavioral consequences. Hence, the attribution is the causal explanation and inference that the observers make to predict and evaluate human behavior. In summary, attribution is seeking causes of results. That is to say, people analyze their own behavior or others by utilizing their perceptions, thoughts, judgments and so on, and then they find out and explain the reasons for those behaviors.

This study was based on Jessor 's "Problem Behavior Theory”. This is a systematic, multivariate, social-psychological conceptual framework derived initially from the basic concepts of value and expectation in Rotter 's (1954, 1982) (Rotter, 1982, Rotter, 1954) social learning theory and from Merton 's (1957) concept of anomie. According to the social learning theory, learning occurs through modelling.

This case study throws light on the focus of the systems theory when compared with individualistic, psychotherapeutic practices such as psychodynamic or cognitive behavioural practice. Other social work theories don’t offer any base for including work with others except the client only. Social works involve working with all the elements of the society and its engagement with the client and all systems influencing the client. This theory aims at recognising the context and whether it extends from the importance of

It is studied in a wide range of social science disciplines including social care, economics, sociology, psychology and law to name a few. Social Policy can be viewed as a discipline in its own right. “Social Policy differs from sociology, because it focuses on ‘the development and implementation of policy measures in order to influence the social circumstances themselves.’ In contrast to economics, while Social Policy is certainly concerned with matters of equity and efficiency, the interest stems from a focus on the well-being of individuals and social groups rather than the productive capacity of a nation’s economy.” (Alcock.2008) Social Policy is an interdisciplinary subject - it is a mixture of relevant ideas from sociology, history, economics and politics; and is applied to social issues, problems, welfare and wellbeing.

These are created from collective forces, on the outside that do not come from the individual himself. (Hadden, p. 104). Durkheim considered society as sui-generis, which means self-born. This means that social facts are born out of centuries of accepted ways of doing things. These facts emerge out of the collective and not out of individual decisions and behaviour.

Cognitive theory focuses on the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Social workers assist clients in identifying patterns of irrational and self-destructive thoughts and behaviors that influence emotions. Cognitive theory allows social workers to assess the client’s schemata, identify any dysfunctional thought patterns, and consider the evidence supporting a client’s belief in order to clients to adjust their process to better facilitate the attainment of goals and experience more positive emotions (Hutchison, 2013. P. 119). On the other hand, cognitive therapy cannot encourage clients to rationalize their problems with negative thoughts and irrational thinking due to oppressive external circumstances.

Deacon and Mann (1999) examine individual behaviour in the field of sociology and social policy research. The focus of their study is the individual and the ever increasing moral and ethical predicaments faced by an individual in a contemporary society, such as todays. This aspect has wide implications in social policy which is concerned with the general wellbeing of every individual - a sense of wellbeing plays a principal role in moral and ethical values. The authors indicate that moralists Field and Mead share the need for the restructuring of welfare in a way that would better facilitate responsible moral behaviour. Sociologists Beck and Bauman believe that a forced method, such as this, could potentially prove not only futile but perhaps even dangerous.

ANSWER: The term social construction of reality explains the way we present ourselves to other people is structured by our interactions with others, as well as by our life experiences. The way we present ourselves,how we perceive others and how others perceive us is affected by how we were raised and what we were raised to believe. our reality perceptions are related to our beliefs and backgrounds By invention of sociology of knowledge, gave rise to debates regarding the validity,scope and applicability of this new concept in this debate there emerged A formulation given by Karl Mannheim.

Friedkin 's article examined the social influence networks with the attitude-behavior linkage and social diffusion. He illustrated the concept of cognitive orientations to objects. It 's the brain that generate attitude, brain has its own scale for the attitude, which depends on the information you have. There are other sorts of cognitive orientation, which is called the certainty of beliefs, a belief in a truth of something, how certain you are to a particular statement.