Social Cognitive Theory and All it's Greatness!

When you think of video games, I bet the word "theory" never comes to mind. Although, you have seen in my previous posts that there are in fact researchers interested and intrigued to learn more about the effects of video games, but you may not know that there are theories involved in video games and there are theories that can translate to video games, as well as the rest of media in general.

First we will start with one that many overlook and have experienced in their own lives, and possibly in video games itself: Social Cognitive Theory.

Social Cognitive Theory simply states that people do not learn things solely by trying them, they experience them in a way that can spawn from three categories: personal factors, environmental factors and behavior. They all turn to one another to complete the Triadic Reciprocal Causation Model (the three things that lead us to learning).

http://www.utwente.nl/cw/theorieenoverzicht/Theory%20clusters/Health%20Communication/Social_cognitive_theory/

Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) also looks at the four steps to learning something.
1. Attention: attention to color, action, attractiveness
2. Retention: your ability to remember (the visual and audio possibly)
3. Production: remembering the task and relaying it into action in the real world
(HERE IS WHERE THE LEARNING HAPPENS)
4. Motivation: getting encouragement (benefits and rewards) when the action is received well by others

For example: A new game comes out.  I start to play and the graphics are phenomenal, I feel like I am in the game (ATTENTION).  I start playing the game the next day, then the next week, then a month goes by and I love playing the game (RETENTION).  Next, after beating the game, I start again and play as a different character, possibly trying different classes, professions and any other skill that may be different from the first time and in doing so, learning more and bringing my new learned skills into the REAL world (PRODUCTION).  Soon it becomes a part of my daily routine and I start telling my friends to play it and show them how to play (MOTIVATION).  That is one way SCT can influence someone to learning.

One item that is part of the Social Cognitive Theory that many people may not know about it Self-Efficacy.  This, in short, is whether people people they can accomplish something. IF they believe they can, they WILL enact that behavior. Like The Little Engine That Could...

http://www.barrygee.com/ios/the-little-engine-that-could/

What is funny, is that we have two different ways of reaching self-efficacy.  There is enactive performance: simply learning by doing. An example of this would be riding a bike or learning to read.

The other side of reaching self-efficacy is symbolic rehearsal: a mental practice of a physical activity, without using physical activity.  Using your cognition instead of actively doing something.  An example of this could be reading any instructions to build something then building it or another unique example would be studying for an exam, then taking it.  You couldn't read a MANUAL for riding a bike or learning to read:

YOU JUST...

 DO IT!

http://thismamamakesstuff.com/2010/05/learning-to-ride-a-balance-bike/

PRACTICE IT!

http://robinheyden.wordpress.com/page/4/

MASTER IT!

http://kids.lovetoknow.com/expert-interviews/kids-living-green

We, in the social sciences, look to the ABC's to help us out with how we learn things:

Affective: Related to emotional responses; shows our liking of the "thing", our self-esteem and other emotions

Behavioral: How it influences our actions; if it physically changes a behavior in people

Cognition: Related to learning outcomes; example is the Learning Mental Model

So by now, you are wondering, "Yea, cool, but what does this have to do with video games???" Well by using video games as a learning tool, and with repeated exposure, we can help youth learn more in a more effective matter.  I know when I was in grade school I played a lot of Jump Start, I learned and remembered more from those games than I did from my teachers.  This is solid evidence that video games are cool and should be embedded/kept in the agenda.

Up next: Cultivation Theory.  Prepare to be amazed at how easily we are cultivated by media, even video games. *GASP*




Vorderer, P., & Bryant, J. (2006). Playing Video Games: Motives, Responses, and Consequences. New York, NY: Taylor and Francis Group.