Reciprocal Determinism

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Reciprocal determinism, a central concept in Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory (SCT), describes our functioning as a continuous, dynamic interaction among three interconnected factors. No one factor is a sole determinant, but all three mutually shape and influence one another simultaneously in a triangular, two-way causal flow:

  • Personal factors: Cognitive, affective, and biological events (self-efficacy beliefs, thoughts, emotions, and physical attributes)
  • Behavior: Our actions, choices, and statements
  • Environmental influences: External physical and social contexts (resources, other people, situations)

Key aspects of reciprocal determinism:

  • Individuals are agents, not passive recipients: Not just shaped by our environment or internal drives, we actively influence our surroundings and our actions through our thoughts and choices.
  • Context matters: Strength of each influence in the triangle varies depending on who we are (personal factors), the activity (behavior), and the specific situation (environmental influences).
  • It’s a continuous loop: Student (personal factor: high self-efficacy) selects a challenging computer science course (behavior). Demanding coursework/professor (environmental influences) force student to study hard and improve skills, reinforcing their self-efficacy

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