Competence (human resources)

Pathology

Neuroscience

Pedagogy

Observational study

Perception

Economic growth

Clinical psychology

Social learning

Social skills

Observational learning

Mathematics education

Social cognitive theory

Developmental psychology

Cognition

Cognitive psychology

Psychology

Economics

Social change

Social competence

Experiential learning

Medicine

Coping (psychology)

Social psychology

Educational Psychologist

This article reviews the social origins of students' development of self-regulatory skill with special emphasis on observational learning through modeling. A social cognitive perspective on self-regulation is presented. In this view, students' academic competence develops initially from social sources of academic skill and subsequently shifts to self sources in a series of 4 levels: observational, imitative, self-controlled, and self-regulated. The effects of models on observers depend in part on perceptions of self-efficacy, or beliefs about one's capabilities to learn or perform designated behaviors. Research on social influences is reviewed, and includes factors such as cognitive modeling, coping and mastery models, self-modeling, learning goals, and progress feedback. Related theoretical perspectives are discussed along with suggestions for future research.

Social origins of self-regulatory competence