Health Behavior

2

Social Cognitive Theory

Jasmine Fields

Columbia Southern University

Health Behavior PUH 5304

Dr. Williams

November 8, 2022

Social Cognitive Theory

The amount of people suffering from diabetes has significantly risen, particularly in low and middle-income regions. The rise in cases of diabetes has been linked to causing certain illnesses like stroke, heart attacks, kidney failure, and conditions such as low limb amputation and blindness. This health problem normally emerges when the pancreas cannot produce adequate insulin or whenever the body cannot use the produced insulin effectively. One of the theories that can effectively be applied in this study is the social cognitive theory. The social cognitive theory has been utilized repeatedly in nursing and medical studies. The theory holds that learning happens when there is a dynamic and reciprocal link between the person, their environment, their behavior, and their social situations (Beauchamp et al., 2019). Applying all the social cognition theory's ideas to a single public health problem can be difficult, especially when creating tailored public health efforts. Social support, however, can help promote adherence to the patient's advised healthy behaviors for diabetes.

The social cognitive theory considers the particular social features of a person with any medical condition, how the person learns and maintains their behavior, and the social context in which people display a certain behavior. The theory also considers how past experiences affect reinforcement, expectations, and expectancies in an individual. All these factors will influence whether a person engages in a certain behavioral change and the motivations behind doing so. The social cognitive theory focuses on certain constructs, comprising reciprocal determinism, behavioral ability, observational learning, reinforcements, expectations, and self-efficacy (Bourne et al., 2020). Based on reciprocal determinism, a person's responses to stimuli to achieve goals and the environment, including the external social context, interact dynamically and reciprocally. Its main perspective is that human beings want to feel empowered and have control over the great experiences in their lives. Several variables, including self-efficacy, outcome expectations, goals, and self-evaluation, impact this sense of agency and control.

The ability to change one's behavior through the learning of required skills and useful knowledge is known as behavioral capability. This basically relies on the person's educational background and level of passion for learning. To successfully change behavior and achieve a goal, a person must have a clear grasp of what they are trying to do and how to get there (Schunk & DiBenedetto, 2020). People gain knowledge from the effects of their actions, which in turn influence their immediate surroundings or communities. A person with a chronic illness may be able to observe and learn behavior from people who live in the same neighborhood before reproducing that behavior on their own. This concept is known as observational learning. This type of behavior is commonly referred to as “modeling.” If a person with diabetes decides to take a certain action after seeing a successful example of it, they might want to do it themselves effectively.

Reactions to a person's behavior that are both internal and externally reinforced might influence whether certain behaviors are maintained or broken. The environment or the individual receiving the reinforcements might initiate a reinforcement cycle. Both negative and positive reinforcements exist. Expectations are the outcomes that a person who alters their behavior anticipates will arise from that transformation (Middleton et al., 2019). Most people consider the consequences of their actions before engaging in them. Therefore, whether the behavior is successfully carried out may depend on these projected impacts. People typically take note of how much weight is given to the outcome of this behavioral change, even though expectations are largely based on prior experience. Self-efficacy is the conviction that one can successfully carry out a specific behavior. The capacity for self-efficacy is influenced by a person's skills, other personal characteristics, and contextual elements like barriers and facilitators.

As a public health professional, there are various actions I would take in every construct of the social learning theory. In relation to reciprocal determinism, I would try to develop a sense of agency and exert control over the key aspects related to diabetes to foster positive outcomes. This sense of agency might be impacted by factors such as self-efficacy, expectations, and goals. I will strive to ensure the public believes that they have the capacity to succeed in fighting against, controlling, or preventing diabetes which will also influence their behavior. To improve the capability of people to change a specific behavior that might help in dealing with diabetes, I will share with them essential learning skills and relevant knowledge. However, this will be centered on the person's educational background and determination to learn. I will also help them define their goals and understand how to attain them for them to change their behavior successfully. Moreover, I will encourage people with diabetes to observe and learn behavior or behaviors that can help them control or prevent the disease. These individuals can then replicate the good behaviors, thus successfully fighting against the health problem.

In relation to reinforcements, I will describe to the public the effective way of responding to different internal and external responses which might affect their behavior. Although the environment can influence these reinforcements, I will encourage them to focus on positive self-initiated reinforcements. My expectations will be for the public to embrace appropriate behaviors that can help fight against preventing diabetes, such as exercising regularly and taking a healthy diet. It would also be important for everyone to have confidence in their capability to replicate a particular behavior effectively.

References

Beauchamp, M. R., Crawford, K. L., & Jackson, B. (2019). Social cognitive theory and physical activity: Mechanisms of behavior change, critique, and legacy. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 42, 110-117.

Bourne, J. E., Ivanova, E., Gainforth, H. L., & Jung, M. E. (2020). Mapping behavior change techniques to characterize a social cognitive theory informed physical activity intervention for adults at risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Translational behavioral medicine, 10(3), 705-715.

Middleton, L., Hall, H., & Raeside, R. (2019). Applications and applicability of Social Cognitive Theory in information science research. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 51(4), 927-937.

Schunk, D. H., & DiBenedetto, M. K. (2020). Motivation and social cognitive theory. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 60, 101832.