Activity 7.1: Social Cognitive Theory, Motivation, and Self-Beliefs

The social cognitive theory is near and dear to my heart, as the school psychology program at UK really focused on the "whole child," which is essentially Bandura's process of triadic reciprocality... we take into consideration not only the child's personal characteristics and behavior, and the child's environment.  So, as a school psychologist, it's important for me to recognize the personal factors, behaviors, and environmental factors that influence learning.  Here are some that come to mind to me:

Personal Factors:

• Intellectual ability
• Health
• Personality type
• Motivation

Behaviors:

• Attention
• Attitude (positive v. negative)
• Ability to self-regulate
• Ability to problem solve

Environmental Factors:

• Socio-economic status
• Area in which you live (i.e., rural, urban)
• Role Models
• Culture (i.e., collectivist vs. individualist)
• Religion
• Home life (including family structure, parental employment, familial support system, parent relationships, etc)
• Friendships
• Resources 
• Protective factors like better schools, more affluent neighborhoods, etc
• Risk factors like gang activity, poverty, 
• Access to basic needs- food, water, shelter
• Exposure to trauma