Essay Example on Understanding Human Behavior: Social Cognitive Theory

Many explanations have been developed to try and understand the development of human behavior. The ideas brought up differs greatly concerning human nature and what causes or motivates their behavior. Among the theories developed to explain human behavior is the social cognitive theory. Professor Albert Bandura from Stanford University is celebrated for developing the social cognitive theory (Bandura, 1989). The theory is significant in comprehending the way individuals mold and are molded by their surroundings. The theory specifically emphasizes on the process of learning by observing as well as modeling, and the impact of self-efficacy on the conduct of the individuals.

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Social cognitive theory is based on the model of causation. The model reveals that human behavior is always explained in single-sided determinism. Thus behavior is said to be molded and monitored by environmental factors as well as internal dispositions. The social cognitive theory aligns with the causation model that involves triadic reciprocal determinism, where behavior, cognition, and other customized factors and the surrounding's impacts all influence each other in varied strengths and times (Vinney, 2019). For instance, the expectations, beliefs, intentions, and goals determine one's behavior and direction. The thinking pattern and emotional response are affected by a person's natural and external outcome of their actions. Individual factors including the biological ones like the brain also affect behavior. The brain is in turn affected by personal experiences. Human behavior including anticipations, beliefs, emotions, and cognition is molded and revamped by social impacts that transmit data and actuate effusive responses via modeling, instructions, and persuasion (Bandura, 1989). Behavior changes the environment, and in turn, the environment affects the same behavior that changed it.

Bandura's theory specifically stressed that observational learning, where people observe models in their surroundings and emulate them, is the fastest way in which people acquire knowledge. Observational learning occurs through four procedures. The attentional process accounts for the ideas chosen for watching in the surrounding. Individuals might decide to watch real-world models or models they interact with through the media. The retention process includes being able to remember the viewed ideas so as to reconstruct them in the future. The production process, on the other hand, entails reconstructing memories of past observations and applying them in real life. The process does not mean exact replication of the models, but rather the modification of the observations to produce slightly varied information which conforms to the settings. The last component of observational learning is the motivational process, which determines whether or not a viewed behavior is emulated depending on whether it results in desirable or adverse outcomes for the model. In the case that the observed conduct was rewarded, the viewer is more enthusiastic to replicate it. On the other hand, when the behavior is punished, it is less likely that the viewer will be enthusiastic to reproduce it. The discovery, therefore, implies that not every behavior viewed is emulated.

Observational learning also influences the self-efficacity of the observer by either increasing or decreasing it. The models impact the beliefs of the observers to perform the viewed conducts and reproduce desirable results from the behaviors (Vinney, 2019). Models serve as motivational or inspirational factors since when people observe other individuals succeeding, they too believe that they can make it. The perceptions of self-efficacity impacts individuals' preferences and trust in themselves, including their goals and the efforts they put to them, the longevity they wish to endure as well as the results they desire. Hence, self-efficacity impacts one's motivation to actualize a task and their faith in the capability to do so. This kind of beliefs may affect individual development and change. For instance, research has revealed that improving self-efficacity beliefs has greater chances of improving health habits as opposed to applying the dread-infliction approach. In a study to explore the relationship between self-efficacity and help evasion in changing health behavior, Persson et al. (2014) used participants from a Danish police department to answer a questionnaire. All the participants had earlier on expressed their wish to change their behavior regarding smoking, physical activity, eating, and alcohol. Analyses of the results obtained revealed that a person did not need help to transition to new behavior. The study showed that high trust in one's capability to change behavior might lead to the annulment of assistance offers. Therefore, believing in one's self-efficacity determines whether or not a person values having positive alterations in their lives. Another type of cognitive learning theory is normative belief.

Normative beliefs have also been shown to influence behavior. Normative influence is the conformity to other people's expectations in order to feel accepted in their group. Watching other people's behavior leads to a high probability of emulation by observers and little or no pressure to submit to the norm (Matelski and Hogg, 2015). Normative social influences can also be achieved through the presentation of messages indirectly such as via printed messages, computerized messages and through newspapers. The normative messages are becoming increasingly popular in passing information. In a study to evaluate the normative influence on behavioral change concerning towel reuse, Schultz et al. (2008) conducted three experiments. The results showed that normative messages impact the behavior of people. In their first experiment, they found considerable evidence of the impact of normative messages on towel use. The ideas in the first experiment were replicated in the second and the third experiment by targeting generic reference and specific reference groups, and considerable evidence of behavior change was observed. The experiments revealed that the use of the normative messages did not follow the automatic pathway as other studies had shown. The normative messages did not actuate a behavior pattern but rather taught the participants a new norm. The results showed that the combination of the injunctive and descriptive normative messages was the most effective as compared to using any one of them alone.

In another study, Collins et al. (2019) examined the effect of the social norm and health information on the purchase of vegetables in a student canteen. Diets that comprised of little fruits and vegetables have been seen to increase the danger of contracting various diseases such as cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and stroke. According to the World Health Organization, deficiency in fruit and vegetable consumption accounted for about 2.8% of deaths internationally (Collins et al., 2019). This occurrence led to global campaigns to encourage people to increase their fruit and vegetable intake, but they have realized little impact. Thus, other methods have been devised to try and change the dietary behavior of people. The study found that the introduction of social norm posters resulted in increased purchases of vegetables. Exposure to social norms and health messages was seen to considerably increase the purchase of vegetable meals. The use of health messages alone did not significantly impact the nutritional behavior of people.

In the case of the Kimpton hotel, the management could apply the social learning theory and normative influence to help the workers transition to the new regulations swiftly. The hospitality industry is a field that is prone to frequent changes to conform to the ever-changing requirements of the customers. The workers are to be trained to always expect changes. As learned in the social cognitive theory, expectations mold the behavior of people. Being prepared for change would make the workers less resistant and always able to adapt to changes. Being in the ever-changing environment, the worker's personal factors such as the brain would readily respond to change. Always being ready for change would also alter the emotional response of the workers. The worker in the Kimpton hotel cried since she was resistant to change. She was not well prepared to always expect change even before the recent update alterations had been implemented for a considerable duration.

Among the changes that were going to be initiated in the hotel industry was the inclusion of a motivation package. The last component of the cognitive theory is the motivational process. According to the theory, an action that is rewarded is more likely to be emulated by the observer. Kimpton hotel intended to retrain its staff in the style they were required to deliver customer service. After retraining, any staff who got individual positive feedback from the customer would be given an incentive. In so doing, this promise would make the staff ready to learn and conform to the new regulations. Human beings like being rewarded. Research has shown that rewarding an individual for good work done motivates them to even work harder. Motivation is a method that influences behavioral change and therefore would increase the rate of acquisition of the new customer service information.

Again, as part of the rebranding, the restaurant and the bar computer systems would change. Changing the computer systems needed some training. The workers could be trained to adopt new changes using the normative influence. Using normative messages on instruction could help the workers gain information easily. The instructions concerning computer systems could not be totally new since some instructions could be similar to the previous system. Using normative messages might activate the memories of the computer systems that were learned sometime back. Normative messages have been shown to work in the research by Collins et al. (2019) and Schultz et al. (2008) and can easily be applicable here.

Again, as a way of rebranding, Kimpton trains fits workers to implement the green policy. Kimpton hotels use non-toxic, cleaning supplies, extensively recycle and minimize water consumption. Environmental conservation is the dream that many industries are emulating. The green policy could be implemented well using normative influence. The management could use normative messages to train their staff in transiting. The use of injunctive and descriptive messages may easily assist the employees to learn. Observational learning could, later on, be used to help the workers adapt to the new changes. The formation of great phrases concerning the environment and reminding the workers of the importance of conserving their environment could easily make them adapt to the new regulations quickly. The best part to write the water conservation messages would be near water taps so that the workers are reminded to use water sparingly as they strive to use as little water as possible. Like in the case of reusing towels by Schultz et al. (2008), this new behavior could be learned easily. The reception manager's act of calling her workers and reassuring them that they could easily transition lifted their self-efficacy and motivated them to face the change.

References

Bandura, A., 1989. Social Cognitive Theory. In R. Vasta (Ed). Annals of child development, Vol. 6. Six Theories of Child Development. (pp1-60). Greenwich, CT:JAI Press.

Collins, E.I., Thomas, J.M., Robinson, E., Aveyard, P., Jebb, S.A., Herman, C.P. and Higgs, S., 2019. Two observational studies examining the effect of a social norm and a health message on the purchase of vegetables in student canteen settings. Appetite, 132, pp....