Download April Renee Canales Albert Bandura`s Social Cognitive Theory April

April Renee Canales
Albert Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory
April 12, 2013
Prati, G. (2012). A Social Cognitive Learning Theory of Homophobic Aggression
Among Adolescents. School Psychology Review, 41(4), 413-428.
Synopsis
The article by Prati, explored how Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory can
explain homophobic aggression among adolescents in a school setting. Prati begins
the article by briefly introducing and explaining methods, subjects, and procedures
used through the study. The participants of the study came from students enrolled
in Grades 9-13 in 10 Italian public high schools. There were a total of 863 students
from 49 different classrooms. The author explains the purpose of conducting the
study was to better understand homophobic aggression at school in order to design
effective interventions for the victims of homophobic bullying.
The next part of the article goes into detail about how homophobic
aggression can be explained through a sociological or psychological perspective
(Prati 2012). Although these theories are useful in understanding homophobia, they
are limited. For this reason the study was conduct using the Social Cognitive Theory,
which takes into consideration peer relationships and school environment. The
author then goes into detail on the Social Cognitive perspective on homophobic
aggression. In Bandura’s theory, he explains that the process of learning is predicted
by the observation of models, and by social experiences. In this study this means
homophobic aggression is an observed behavior by watching others participate in
this behavior others learn and participate in it themselves.
The article then describes the methods and procedures use to complete the
study. The author again describes the demographics of the participants in greater
detail. Males were slightly underrepresented when the study was conducted. The
author selected a stratified sample of 20 Italian public high schools based on two
variables first-level Nomenclature of Territorial Units of Statistics and types of
schools differentiated by subjects and activities. Participants were asked to fill out a
questionnaire that consisted of three scales: homophobic language, homophobic
bullying, and classroom homophobic attitudes.
Finally the author discusses the results of the questionnaire. Homophobic
language and aggression toward females was found to be not statistically significant.
However, that wasn’t the case for homophobic language and aggression toward
males were statistically significant. The aim of the study was to examine the
psychosocial dynamics that underlie homophobic bullying behaviors (Prati 2012).
Drawing from the social cognitive theory, it was predicated that students who
witness peer homophobic aggression would later participate in the same behavior.
The study confirmed this hypothesis for students who have homophobic aggression
towards male students who were perceived as gay.
Theory
The theory tested in this study was Albert Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory.
“The social learning perspective suggests that a combination of environmental (social)
and cognitive processes influence behavior (Prati 2012).” According to this theory,
people learn from observation and social experiences. In this case study, bullies are
perceived as powerful individuals in their schools. They are known to get away with
bullying and aren’t punished by teachers or peers for their aggressive and potentially
dangerous behavior. “It is reasonable to assume that, according to the social learning
perspective, becoming a bully is more likely under the aforementioned conditions
(Prati 2012).” Males tend to participate in these types of behaviors to achieve or
maintain dominance and claiming their heterosexuality and masculinity. This
suggests that the social learning perspective may be appropriate to understand why
bullying occurs and how its linked to student observations of homophobic
aggression and the participation in homophobic aggression towards gay peers.
Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory is important in weighing and synthesizing
information resulting from social experiences and how they are crucial in
understanding how it affects the learning of attitudes, beliefs, and values. Part of this
theory focuses on different ways which cognitive operations on social experiences
are thought to influence behavior. In the case of homophobic aggression, people
maybe easily influenced to take part in bullying or reinforce homophobic attitudes
by observing aggressive behavior.
Analysis
In this case study, Prati wanted to test how Bandura’s Social Cognitive
Theory can explain homophobic aggression towards perceived gay students.
Participants of the study answered a questionnaire using a Likert-scale to explain
their experiences with homophobic behaviors and aggression. The results of this
studied proved that students who observed homophobic behavior were more likely
to participate in that similar behavior themselves. This was only true for male
students who were perceived as gay. This was consistent with the theory that
behaviors are learned within a group. In the case of gay women, the relationship
between observations and aggressive behavior was not significant enough to prove
the theory correct. I believe this is a weakness in the sense that more research
needs to be conducted to see behavior towards gay women in a school setting.
Although this data says that there was not a significant relationship between
observed behaviors and homophobic behaviors towards gay women, that doesn’t
mean it doesn’t happen at the schools where the studies were conducted.
There were some noted limitations during the study that was conducted. As
noted before males were underrepresented during the case study. Since more
women took the questionnaire, one may conclude this is why there was no
relationship between homophobic behavior and gay women. These results could
change if more men participated in the case study. Social Cognitive theory is a
useful framework to use to explain peer relationships towards homophobia it is
limited and other sociological and psychological perspectives need to be taken into
consideration.
Evaluation
After reading and understanding the Social Cognitive Theory and the study
conducted, I believe that people do learn and are easily influenced by their peers.
Bullying is becoming a big problem and an epidemic amongst teenagers. Many
children and teens are taking their own lives because they were victims of bullying
at school. In the case of homophobic aggression and homophobia, teens use
derogatory terms for homosexuals in a joking manner without understanding what
those terms mean. After watching a documentary on bullying, I first hand saw how
such words were being used even though the child didn’t identify himself as being
gay. I also saw how many students observed this behavior and didn’t speak out to
anyone about it and just allowed it to continue. I was also able to see first hand how
more students were participating in the bullying as time went on. I know the results
of the study indicated that there was no correlation between gay women and
homophobic aggression, but I do believe it takes place. Again in the same
documentary, a story of a young homosexual girl was presented and how her life
was affected by bullying. Her family pulled her out of school and also decided to
move to a city that openly accepted homosexual lifestyles to give their daughter a
better chance in living a happy life. I do think there should be more research studies
conducted on homophobic aggression towards gay women. This was a very
interesting article over a subject that seems to be getting worse especially in this
technology driven world.