Future Research
Documented suggestions for future research are limited due to the versatility found within the theory; however there is a large connection that one can draw between limitations and how the theory could be improve. The main points that articles emphasize about future research generally relate to improvements within their own topic. For example, an article done on Understanding knowledge sharing in virtual communities: An integration of social capital and social cognitive theories mention that, “An avenue for future research is to examine why a negative relationship between shared vision and quantity of knowledge sharing exists in the virtual community settings (3).” This is a flaw within their own topic in which they need to research further rather than issues within the Social Cognitive Theory itself.
Drawing upon limitations and examining ways in which one can improve these are as follows. The theory ignores biological differences and hormonal responses (2). So for the example of emotional arousal found within the Key Terms section, Zillman did not factor in that the increased level of aggressive behavior after viewing media violence could have been caused by a biological difference found within the violence rather than the overall action. To improve this limitation I would recommend splitting up men and women during testing and see if their reactions were the same, rather than combining results.
The theory ignores maturation and lifespan behaviors changes so as people grow older their behaviors tend to change as well (2). To improve this aspect I would suggest retesting the same group every ten years or so. This would allow for maturation to be accounted for, however this would be a challenge to do successfully due to where they may be location wise in ten years, or if they are still living and well. Additionally this would be a commitment few would consider.
Finally, the theory does not take into account psychological problems. Several psychological pathologies have more to do with neural defects of chemical imbalances in the brain. The Social Cognitive Theory believes that antisocial behaviors are a result of defects in the models of learned behavior that and individual has received and believes that these defects can be corrected through the use of reinforcement and self-efficacy training (2). However, when psychological problems are the case, one has little control over their behaviors causing self-efficacy to be an invalid form of development when physiological problems are present. With regards to future research for the theory I would suggest creating a form of test or questionnaire that addresses those who may be struggling with certain forms of psychological problems and eliminate those from the study.
Sources:
Photo) CMB (2013, May 20). Man writing on whiteboard [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://blog.cmbinfo.com/bid/91308/Constraints-Are-the-Fuel-of-Innovation
2) Flamand, L. (n.d.). Limitations of Social Cognitive Theory | eHow. Retrieved April 11, 2014, from http://www.ehow.com/about_5421206_limitations-social-cognitive-theory.html
3) Lent, R. W., Hackett, G., & Brown, S. D. (2000). Contextual Supports and Barriers to Career Choice: A Social Cognitive Analysis. Retrieved April 9, 2014, from http://www.nsfengineerstudy.org/webdocs/scct.pdf
Drawing upon limitations and examining ways in which one can improve these are as follows. The theory ignores biological differences and hormonal responses (2). So for the example of emotional arousal found within the Key Terms section, Zillman did not factor in that the increased level of aggressive behavior after viewing media violence could have been caused by a biological difference found within the violence rather than the overall action. To improve this limitation I would recommend splitting up men and women during testing and see if their reactions were the same, rather than combining results.
The theory ignores maturation and lifespan behaviors changes so as people grow older their behaviors tend to change as well (2). To improve this aspect I would suggest retesting the same group every ten years or so. This would allow for maturation to be accounted for, however this would be a challenge to do successfully due to where they may be location wise in ten years, or if they are still living and well. Additionally this would be a commitment few would consider.
Finally, the theory does not take into account psychological problems. Several psychological pathologies have more to do with neural defects of chemical imbalances in the brain. The Social Cognitive Theory believes that antisocial behaviors are a result of defects in the models of learned behavior that and individual has received and believes that these defects can be corrected through the use of reinforcement and self-efficacy training (2). However, when psychological problems are the case, one has little control over their behaviors causing self-efficacy to be an invalid form of development when physiological problems are present. With regards to future research for the theory I would suggest creating a form of test or questionnaire that addresses those who may be struggling with certain forms of psychological problems and eliminate those from the study.
Sources:
Photo) CMB (2013, May 20). Man writing on whiteboard [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://blog.cmbinfo.com/bid/91308/Constraints-Are-the-Fuel-of-Innovation
2) Flamand, L. (n.d.). Limitations of Social Cognitive Theory | eHow. Retrieved April 11, 2014, from http://www.ehow.com/about_5421206_limitations-social-cognitive-theory.html
3) Lent, R. W., Hackett, G., & Brown, S. D. (2000). Contextual Supports and Barriers to Career Choice: A Social Cognitive Analysis. Retrieved April 9, 2014, from http://www.nsfengineerstudy.org/webdocs/scct.pdf