fei75766_ch17_534-568.indd 553  02/24/20 10:49 AM
Chapter 17    Bandura: Social Cognitive Theory553
single individual—a brother, sister, parent, orevenahated rival—or wecancompare it
toastandard norm suchasparingolforaperfect score inbowling.
Besides personal andreference standards, thejudgmental process isalsodepen -
dentontheoverall value weplace onanactivity. Ifweplace minor value onourabil-
itytowash dishes ordustfurniture, thenwewillspend littletimeoreffort intrying to
improve these abilities. Ontheother hand, ifweplace highvalue ongetting ahead in
thebusiness world orattaining aprofessional orgraduate degree, thenwewillexpend 
much effort toachieve success inthese areas.
Finally, self-regulation alsodepends onhowwejudge thecauses ofourbehav -
ior,thatis,performance attribution .Ifwebelieve thatoursuccess isduetoourown
efforts, wewilltakepride inouraccomplishments andtendtowork harder toattain 
ourgoals. However, ifweattribute ourperformance toexternal factors, wewillnot
derive asmuch self-satisfaction andwillprobably notputforth strenuous effort to
attain ourgoals. Conversely, ifwebelieve thatweareresponsible forourownfailures 
orinadequate performance, wewillwork more readily toward self-regulation thanif
weareconvinced thatourshortcomings andourfears areduetofactors beyond our
control (Bandura, 1986, 1996). 
Self-Reaction
Thethird andfinalinternal factor inself-regulation isself-reaction .People respond 
positively ornegatively totheirbehaviors depending onhowthese behaviors measure 
uptotheirpersonal standards. Thatis,people create incentives fortheirownactions 
through self-reinforcement orself-punishment. Forexample, adiligent student who
hascompleted areading assignment mayreward herself bywatching herfavorite tele-
vision program.
Self-reinforcement doesnotrestonthefactthatitimmediately follows a
response: Rather, itrelies inlarge partontheuseofourcognitive ability tomedi -
atetheconsequences ofbehavior. People setstandards forperformance that,when 
met,tendtoregulate behavior bysuchself-produced rewards aspride andself-
satisfaction. When people failtomeet theirstandards, theirbehavior isfollowed by
self-dissatisfaction orself-criticism.
Thisconcept ofself-mediated consequences isasharp contrast toSkinner’s 
notion thattheconsequences ofbehavior areenvironmentally determined. Bandura 
hypothesizes thatpeople work toattain rewards andtoavoid punishments according 
toself-erected standards. Even when rewards aretangible, theyareoften accompa -
niedbyself-mediated intangible incentives suchasasense ofaccomplishment. The
Nobel Prize, forexample, carries asubstantial cashaward, butitsgreater value to
most recipients must bethefeeling ofpride orself-satisfaction inperforming thetasks 
thatledtotheaward.
Self-Regulation Through Moral Agency
People alsoregulate theiractions through moral standards ofconduct. Bandura 
(1999a) seesmoral agency ashaving twoaspects: (1)doing noharm topeople and
(2)proactively helping people. Ourself-regulative mechanisms, however, donotaffect 
other people untilweactonthem. Wehavenoautomatic internal controlling agent 
suchasaconscience orsuperego thatinvariably directs ourbehavior toward morally Final PDF to printer