How Does the Social Learning Theory Work?
The social learning theory works through five different elements: self-efficacy, performance accomplishment, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion, and emotional arousal.1
Self-efficacy is the over arching concept in the social learning theory. The goal of the social learning theory is to build self-efficacy or to build an individual’s perception of capabilities for performance.17 Bandura states, “Perceived self-efficacy not only reduces anticipatory fear and inhibitions but, through expectations of eventual success, it affects coping efforts once they are initiated”.1, p. 80
The building of self-efficacy takes place through performance accomplishment, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion, and emotional arousal. Performance accomplishments are considered to be the strongest source of self-efficacy. Successful personal experiences raise a person’s expectation of future success; repeated personal success leads to the development of strong self-efficacy.1 Vicarious experiences builds self-efficacy by “seeing others perform threatening activities without adverse consequences can create expectations in observers they too will eventually succeed if they intensify and persist in their efforts.”1, p.81
Verbal persuasion is thought to be the weakest of the four possibilities in developing long lasting self-efficacy. Verbal persuasion consists of individuals being led, through persuasive suggestion, into believing they can cope successfully with what has overwhelmed them in the past.1 Emotional arousal is pertinent to self-efficacy in perceived threatening situations. Due to the fact high arousal typically lowers performance success, individuals are more likely to expect success when they are not feeling highly aroused or not feeling the physical or emotion sensations connected with anxiety or fear.1
 |
 |
| Page 5 of 10 | |
| Citation Number: Vol. 5, No. 1, Page 130 |
|
