fei75766_ch17_534-568.indd 537  02/24/20 10:49 AM
Chapter 17    Bandura: Social Cognitive Theory537
advisor recommended theUniversity ofIowa, soBandura leftCanada fortheUnited 
States. Hecompleted amaster’s degree in1951 andaPhDinclinical psychology the
following year. Then hespent ayearinWichita completing apostdoctoral internship 
attheWichita Guidance Center. In1953, hejoined thefaculty atStanford University 
where, except for1yearasFellow attheCenter forAdvanced Study intheBehavioral 
Sciences, hehasremained.
Most ofBandura’s early publications wereinclinical psychology, dealing pri-
marily withpsychotherapy andtheRorschach test.Then, in1958, hecollaborated 
withthelateRichard H.Walters, hisfirstdoctoral student, topublish apaper on
aggressive delinquents. Thefollowing year, theirbook, Adolescent Aggression (1959), 
appeared. Since then, Bandura hascontinued topublish onawidevariety ofsubjects, 
often incollaboration withhisgraduate students.  Hismost influential books are
Social Learning Theory (1977), Social Foundations of Thought and Action (1986), and
Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control (1997). 
Bandura hasheldmore thanadozen offices inprestigious scientific societies, 
including president oftheAmerican Psychological Association (APA) in1974, presi -
dentoftheWestern Psychological Association in1980, andhonorary president ofthe
Canadian Psychological Association in1999. Inaddition, hehasreceived more than
adozen honorary degrees from prestigious universities throughout theworld. Other 
honors andawards include theGuggenheim Fellowship in1972, theDistinguished 
Scientific Contribution Award from Division 12(Clinical) ofAPA inthesame year,
theAward forDistinguished Scientific Contribution from theAPA in1980, andthe
Distinguished Scientist Award oftheSociety ofBehavior Medicine. Hewaselected 
fellow, American Academy ofArtsandSciences, in1980. Inaddition, hehaswon
theDistinguished Contribution Award from theInternational  Society forResearch 
onAggression; theWilliam James Award oftheAmerican Psychological Science for
outstanding achievements inpsychological science; theRobert Thorndike Award for
Distinguished Contribution ofPsychology toEducation, American Psychological 
Association; andthe2003–2004 James McKeen Cattell Fellow Award from theAmer -
icanPsychological Society. Hehasalsobeenelected totheAmerican Academy ofArts
andSciences andtotheInstitute ofMedicine oftheNational Academy ofSciences. 
Beginning in2004, theAmerican Psychology Society, inpartnership withPsyChi—
TheNational Honor Society inPsychology—began awarding anoutstanding psychol -
ogygraduate student withtheAlbert Bandura Graduate Research Award. Bandura 
currently holds theDavid Starr Jordan Professorship ofSocial Science inPsychology 
atStanford University.
Learning
Oneoftheearliest andmost basic assumptions ofBandura’s social cognitive theory is
thathumans arequite flexible andcapable oflearning amultitude ofattitudes, skills, 
andbehaviors andthatagood bitofthose learnings arearesult ofvicarious experi -
ences. Although people cananddolearn from direct experience, much ofwhat they
learn isacquired through observing others. Bandura (1986) stated that“ifknowledge 
could beacquired onlythrough theeffects ofone’s ownactions, theprocess ofcogni -
tiveandsocial development would begreatly retarded, nottomention exceedingly 
tedious” (p.47).Final PDF to printer