Lecture on Social Cognitive Theory and Personal Control

Key Concepts

• Social Cognitive Theory: Focuses on personal control and its effects on individuals.
• Personal Control: The sense of controlling or being controlled by the environment.
• Locus of Control:
  • Internal Locus: Belief in controlling one's own fate (e.g., "I should have studied harder").
  • External Locus: Belief that outside forces (e.g., "the test was unfair") control one's destiny.

Effects of Locus of Control

• Internal Locus of Control:
  • Linked to higher achievement in school and work.
  • Leads to more independence and better coping mechanisms.
  • Associated with better health and lower depression rates.
• External Locus of Control:
  • Often results in lower academic performance.
  • Associated with higher depression rates.
  • Question of causality between locus of control and depression (chicken and egg problem).

Learned Helplessness

• Concept: Feeling of no control can lead to resignation (e.g., learned helplessness in animals).
• Famous Experiment:
  • Group 1 Dogs: Could stop shocks by pressing a button, learned to escape.
  • Group 2 Dogs: Could not stop shocks, did not attempt to escape when given the chance.
  • Conclusion: Perceived lack of control can generalize to helpless behavior.
• Human Implications:
  • People in uncontrollable situations (poverty, homelessness, etc.) may experience negative health effects.
  • Increased control, even in small forms, can improve well-being (e.g., in nursing homes).

Tyranny of Choice

• Too Much Control: Can negatively impact cognition and behavior.
• Example: Overwhelming number of choices for a product can lead to decision paralysis.
• Study on Choice Satisfaction:
  • Fewer options (6) led to higher satisfaction.
  • More options (30) resulted in less satisfaction and confidence.
• Effects of Excessive Choice:
  • Information overload.
  • Decision paralysis.
  • Increased regret and decreased confidence in decisions.

Summary

• Importance of Balance:
  • Having some control over our environment greatly benefits well-being.
  • Too many choices can undermine well-being.
• Implication: Finding a balance between control and choice is crucial to maintaining mental and emotional health.