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Part VI    Learning-Cognitive Theories544
findsingle women, orasking afriend tointroduce himtoaneligible potential mate. If
hemeets aneligible anddesirable woman, heincreases hischances foralasting rela-
tionship ifhehasprepared himself tobeattractive orinteresting towomen. Bandura 
(2001) quotes Louis Pasteur: “Chance favors onlytheprepared mind” (p.12).
Conversely, theprepared person isabletoescape unpleasant chance encounters and
chance misfortunes byanticipating theirpossibility andtaking steps tominimize any
negative impact theymayhaveonfuture development.
Human Agency
Social cognitive theory takes anagentic viewofpersonality, meaning thathumans 
havethecapacity toexercise control overtheirownlives(2002b). Indeed, human 
agency istheessence ofhumanness. Bandura (2001) believes thatpeople areself-
regulating, proactive, self-reflective, andself-organizing andthattheyhavethepower 
toinfluence theirownactions toproduce desired consequences. Human agency does
notmean thatpeople possess ahomunculus—that is,anautonomous agent—making 
decisions thatareconsistent withtheirviewofself.Neither doesitmean thatpeople 
react automatically toexternal andinternal events. Human agency isnotathing but
anactive process of exploring, manipulating, andinfluencing theenvironment in
order toattain desired outcomes.
Core Features of Human Agency
Bandura (2001, 2004) discusses fourcorefeatures ofhuman agency: intentionality, 
forethought, self-reactiveness, andself-reflectiveness.
Intentionality refers toactsaperson performs intentionally. Anintention 
includes planning, butitalsoinvolves actions. “Itisnotsimply anexpectation orpredic -
tionoffuture actions butaproactive commitment tobringing them about” (2001, p.6).
Intentionality doesnotmean thatallofaperson’s plans willbebrought tofruition. 
People continually change theirplans astheybecome aware oftheconsequences of
theiractions.
People alsopossess forethought tosetgoals, toanticipate likely outcomes of
theiractions, andtoselect behaviors thatwillproduce desired outcomes andavoid 
undesirable ones. Forethought enables people tobreak freefrom theconstraints of
theirenvironment. Ifbehavior werecompletely afunction oftheenvironment, then
behavior would bemore variable andlessconsistent because wewould constantly be
reacting tothegreat diversity ofenvironmental stimuli. “Ifactions weredetermined 
solely byexternal rewards andpunishments, people would behave likeweathervanes” 
(Bandura, 1986, p.335). Butpeople donotbehave likeweathervanes, “constantly 
shifting direction toconform towhatever influence happened toimpinge upon them 
atthemoment” (Bandura, 2001, p.7).
People domore thanplanandcontemplate future behaviors. They arealso
capable ofself-reactiveness intheprocess ofmotivating andregulating theirown
actions. People notonlymake choices buttheymonitor theirprogress toward fulfill -
ingthose choices. Bandura (2001) recognizes thatsetting goals isnotsufficient to
attaining desired consequences. Goals must bespecific, bewithin aperson’s ability toFinal PDF to printer