Question

Bandura established that social cognitive theory and the notion of perceived self-efficacy and asserts that these influence creative affective processes as well as cognitive processes. Why is this significant in the field of cognitive psychology? How does this influence your activities as a researcher in the psychology discipline? Explain.

Answer 1

• Bandura argues that self-efficacy is the most pivotal factor affecting a person's cognition, and his assertion has popularized self-efficacy studies since the 1990s. It is important in the field of cognitive psychology and therapy as well as it provides an understanding of adolescent development as well adult development.
• Self-efficacy is associated with key motivational constructs such as causal attributions, self-concept, optimism, achievement goal orientation, academic help-seeking, anxiety, and value. Self-efficacy is also connected to self-regulated learning, including students' decision to stay in school.
• This helps psychologists to understand what it is that motivates people and how do they select their goals and work towards them. How do people do their self appraisal and also refine their abilities. It helps to identify the motivational processes and the value people place on the outcomes.
• It helps to understand how coping abilities are developed and how to people use them to overcome emotional problems like anxiety. Also how personal development of the individual happens. This provides as strong base for conducting cognitive therapies in order to find out why dissonance happens and how to overcome it.