Bandura's Theory of Social Learning

 

Bandura’s Social Learning Theory places emphasis on attentional control (selective, sustained, focused attention) as a metacognitive skill that has direct impact on one’s behavior, effort and persistence e.g. through training individuals to self-reinforce and self-reward. This theory points to the role of educators as constant inspiration for their students as well as it underlines the role of self-efficacy as a socially biased component of learning.

Both Bandura's Theory and 9-Layered Model of Giftedness, are founded on the importance of higher cognitive skills in learning processes, such as critical thinking, problem solving, intrapersonal skills e.g. self-efficacy beliefs as well as self-regulation skills e.g. self-monitoring, self-reflecting, self-controlling. Also, both theories view one’s learning capacity as a dynamic, reciprocal interaction of our personality, capabilities as well as our environment. 

“Belief in one’s efficacy is a key personal resource in self-development, successful adaptation, and change. It operates through its impact on cognitive, motivational, affective, and decisional processes. Efficacy beliefs affect whether individuals think optimistically or pessimistically, in self-enhancing or self-debilitating ways. Such beliefs affect people’s goals and aspirations, how well they motivate themselves, and their perseverance in the face of difficulties and adversity. Efficacy beliefs also shape people’s outcome expectations—whether they expect their efforts to produce favorable outcomes or adverse ones. In addition, efficacy beliefs determine how environmental opportunities and impediments are viewed. People of low efficacy are easily convinced of the futility of effort in the face of difficulties. They quickly give up trying. Those of high efficacy view impediments as surmountable by self-development and perseverant effort. They stay the course in the face of difficulties and remain resilient to adversity. Efficacy beliefs also affect the quality of emotional life and vulnerability to stress and depression. And last, but not least, efficacy beliefs determine the choices people make at important decisional points. A factor that influences choice behavior can profoundly affect the courses lives take. This is because the social influences operating in the selected environments continue to promote certain competencies, values, and lifestyles”.

https://www.uky.edu/~eushe2/Bandura/001-BanduraAdoEd2006.pdf

http://www.asecib.ase.ro/mps/Bandura_SocialLearningTheory.pdf