Social Cognitive Theory psychology Also known as: SCT Written by Michael Prieler Contributor to SAGE Publications's The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Mass Media and Society (2020) whose work appears in Britannica as part of a joint publishing agreement with SAGE. Michael Prieler Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated May 11, 2026 •History Albert Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) draws from social learning theory and claims that an individual can acquire knowledge by observing others within the context of social interactions or from the media. In other words, people learn new behaviors not only by trying those behaviors and either succeeding or failing but also by replicating the actions of others. Depending on whether people are rewarded or punished for a behavior, that behavior might be modeled and...

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