Albert Bandura
Self Efficacy and Social Learning Theory

Albert Bandura

"People with high assurance in their capabilities
approach difficult tasks as challenges to be mastered
rather than as threats to be avoided."
--- A. Bandura

There are many psychologists around the world who made their mark in the field of psychology. One of them is Albert Bandura who came up with the social learning theory. He believes that learning is the most important factor in personality development and that interactions with other individuals offer the most important experiences.

So who exactly is Albert Bandura? What made him a famous psychologist? What are his accomplishments in life? Below are some important information on him, his works, and contribution to the field of psychology.

Albert Bandura and His Family
Born on December 4, 1925 in Mundare, he was the youngest and the only son out of six children. His parents are both immigrants who left their homelands when they were still adolescents. His father is from Poland while his mother is from Ukraine. Even though his parents didn’t attend formal schooling, they value education so much that his father even taught himself how to speak three languages on his own.

Bandura’s Education
Bandura attended the only high elementary and high school in their town. After graduating, he pursued his higher education at the University of British Colombia in Vancouver where he pursued his career in psychology. In 1949, three years after, he graduated and garnered the Bolocan Award in psychology. He later pursued his M.A. degree in psychology at the University of Iowa and finished in 1951. A year later he graduated his doctorate degree in clinical psychology from the same university.

Bandura’s Work Experiences
Bandura became a member of the faculty of the University of Stanford where he became a professor and at the same time did a lot of research done on human behavior together with other colleagues in psychology. Perhaps his most acclaimed study is on the Bobo doll where he conducted experiments that distinguished between the role of observation in learning a response and the role of reinforcement in determining whether the child performed it. In addition, Bandura also authored several articles and books related to psychology. His first book, adolescent Aggression was published in 1959 and followed later with a subsequent book entitles Aggression: A Social Learning Analysis which was published in 1973. He also wrote other books like the Social Learning Theory, Social Foundations of Thought and Action: A Social Cognitive Theory, and Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Self Control.

Awards Received
Bandura’s great contribution to psychology brought him many awards and honors. He became the president of the American Psychological Association and the Western Psychological Association. He received twelve honorary degrees from distinguished universities like the University of British Columbia, University of Rome, University of Salamanca, Indiana University, University of New Brunswick, and many others. He was also awarded the Outstanding Lifetime Contribution to Psychology Award by the APA in August 2004.

Albert Bandura proved to be one of the greatest minds in psychology. His studies and achievements will serve as an inspiration to other people out there aspiring to become psychologists. He will always be remembered for his valuable contribution to the study of human behavior. Personal goal setting is influenced by self-appraisal of capabilities.

What is Self Efficacy? The stronger the perceived Self Efficacy, the higher the goal challenges people set for themselves and the firmer is their commitment to them. Those who have a high sense of efficacy, visualize success scenarios that provide positive guides and supports for performance.

What is the social learning theory about? Albert Bandura is the main proponent of the Social Learning Theory which even today is widely recognized as one of the best theories that explain the behaviors of human beings.

Readings:
- Social Foundations of Thought and Action (1986)
- Social Learning Theory(1977)
- Social Learning and Personality Development (1963)
- A Social Learning Analysis (1973)

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