Social Cognitive Career Theory

Introduction

Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) is a modern framework that explains three key aspects of career development: how people develop interests in academics and careers, how they make educational and job choices, and how they achieve success in these areas [2]. Created by Robert W. Lent, Steven D. Brown, and Gail Hackett in 1994, SCCT builds on earlier career theories by incorporating elements like interests, abilities, values, and environmental influences that shape career paths [1].

Through trying activities, practicing, and receiving feedback, individuals improve their skills, set personal standards, gain confidence in specific tasks, and form expectations about outcomes [1]. SCCT suggests that people are drawn to activities where they feel capable and expect positive results, creating a cycle where interests lead to goals, and new experiences adjust confidence, expectations, and interests [1]. Interests are flexible until the late teens, when broad interests, like those in art or science, tend to stabilize. However, adults can shift interests through significant experiences, such as parenting or job changes [1]. Strong interests develop when people feel skilled and see value in an activity, while doubts or negative expectations prevent interest growth [1]. For talents to spark interests, environments must offer opportunities to build strong confidence and positive expectations, with confidence linking actual abilities to interests [1].

Rooted in Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory, SCCT applies cognitive and motivational ideas to fields like academic success, health behaviors, and organizational growth. It assumes people can direct their own paths but face external factors that can support or hinder them [1, 10]. Recent updates adapt SCCT to today’s world, including flexible careers and technology, aiding teens in forming interests, choosing jobs, and performing well across cultures [11]. SCCT also applies to entrepreneurship, where confidence and interests drive intentions, influenced by educational support and opportunities [12].

researchgate.net SCCT Interest and Choice Model Diagram

 Theoretical Foundations

SCCT is based on Bandura’s social cognitive theory, which highlights how people, their actions, and their environments interact through triadic reciprocal causation [10]. This means personal thoughts, feelings, physical states, behaviors, and external events influence each other, though not always at the same time or equally [10]. People can create mental models, plan for goals, reflect on their thoughts, control their actions, learn by observing others, and adapt due to brain flexibility [10].

SCCT ties to Bandura’s self-efficacy theory (1977, 1997), which sees people and environments shaping each other [3]. It includes three connected models: developing academic and career interests, making educational and job choices, and achieving performance and stability [3]. Core elements are self-efficacy (changing beliefs about succeeding in specific tasks), outcome expectations (beliefs about action results shaped by experiences), and personal goals (choosing activities or performance levels, allowing persistence without external rewards) [3].

SCCT complements person-environment (P-E) fit theories by recognizing interests, abilities, and values but emphasizes dynamic factors like self-beliefs, future expectations, and external supports or barriers [4]. Unlike P-E fit’s focus on fixed traits, SCCT explores how people change behaviors, shift interests, build skills, and enhance job satisfaction [4]. Compared to developmental theories, SCCT focuses less on specific ages and more on what helps or hinders tasks, like prioritizing work roles or avoiding limitations [4]. It differs from the psychology of working theory (PWT) in its roots (social cognitive vs. emancipatory) and focus (specific job choices vs. decent work), though both address constraints and fairness, with SCCT focusing on social processes that shape opportunities [4]. SCCT views work values as part of outcome expectations, reflecting preferences for job conditions and rewards, balancing external influences with internal choices [2]. Recent additions include cultural frameworks to connect traditional and modern influences, like in China, and applications in fields like entrepreneurship and science [9, 10].

 Core Constructs

SCCT focuses on three main elements: self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and personal goals. These help people guide their career paths, working alongside personal traits (e.g., gender, race), environments, and experiences [4].

 Self-efficacy is about believing you can plan and perform tasks well (Bandura, 1986). It’s specific to tasks, not a general trait like self-esteem, and affects starting and continuing tasks despite challenges [4]. It comes from four sources: personal successes (most impactful), watching others, encouragement, and physical/emotional states like anxiety [4]. For example, someone might feel confident in music but not mechanics, and this can change with new experiences or supportive settings [4].

 Outcome expectations are beliefs about what results from actions, covering physical, social, or self-evaluative outcomes. They answer, “What happens if I do this?” [4]. Shaped by direct or observed experiences and confidence, strong confidence often leads to positive expectations, especially when results depend on performance [4]. These, with self-efficacy, decide what to pursue or avoid, with confidence key in tough or high-stake choices, like studying medicine if science feels weak [4].

 Personal goals are plans to do activities or achieve results, split into choice goals (what to pursue) and performance goals (how well to do). They answer, “How much and how well?” [4]. Goals help people organize and sustain actions over time, driven by confidence and expectations, like setting music practice goals [4]. Progress brings feelings of joy or frustration, reshaping choices, with success strengthening beliefs in a positive cycle [4].

Abilities and values are included but work through confidence and expectations [4]. Environments are either distant (e.g., cultural norms, role models shaping beliefs) or immediate (e.g., barriers or supports during choices, affecting goals directly or indirectly) [4]. Recent studies show confidence and expectations predict sticking with plans, and in entrepreneurship, school support boosts confidence but may reduce interests due to pressures [0, 12].

researchgate.net  SCCT Core Framework Diagram

 Models of SCCT

SCCT includes five related models: interest development, choice-making, performance outcomes, satisfaction in school or work, and career self-management [4]. Each combines personal thoughts, people, environments, and experiences to shape career paths [4]. The first three—interests, choices, performance—are the core, with satisfaction and self-management added later, the core having more research and practical use [4]. Recent reviews confirm SCCT’s value for diverse groups, advancing career knowledge across cultures [1].

 Interest Model

Home, school, and community introduce activities that form the basis for jobs or hobbies [4]. Trying, practicing, and getting feedback improve skills and build confidence and expectations. Interests grow where people feel capable and expect good outcomes [1]. These elements interact to create goals that keep involvement going, with successes or failures adjusting beliefs in a cycle [1]. Interests settle by late teens but can shift with new experiences [1]. SCCT notes adult interests aren’t fixed and change with new confidence or expectations [4]. Abilities and values influence through beliefs [1]. For talents to become interests, environments must support strong beliefs; without them, interests don’t grow, even with skill [1]. Studies support this for academic and job interests, with new uses in fields like physics majors’ interests [1, 6].

 Choice Model

Choosing a career is a process where people and environments interact. It involves setting goals, acting to achieve them, and getting feedback on fit [3]. Goals and choices come from confidence, expectations, and interests, but nearby factors like cultural norms or obstacles can force compromises [3]. SCCT shows how these factors affect actions, building on interest growth but focusing on career goals and steps [5]. Interests guide choices, but environments also select people, deciding who does what and for how long [4]. In supportive settings, like family demands or financial needs, can override interests, basing choices on confidence, expectations, and context [4]. The model covers before and after choices: interests lead to goals, actions follow, and results adjust beliefs, like changing majors [4]. Environments are distant (shaping beliefs) or immediate (affecting goals during choices) [4]. Strong support and few obstacles help turn interests into actions; tough conditions block this [4]. In some cultures, interests matter less, and choices follow others’ wishes or practical needs [1]. When interests don’t drive choices, like taking jobs for money, decisions rely on context, confidence, and expectations [4]. Studies confirm interests strongly predict choices, with confidence and expectations less so, and support or barriers adjusting the process [1]. New ideas include cultural tools to navigate traditional and modern influences, helping groups like unemployed youth [10].

 Performance Model

This model looks at task achievement and persistence, even with challenges. It overlaps with choice, as sticking to a path shows stability or success, though factors like money issues can affect this [4]. It involves skills (past achievements, tests), confidence, expectations, and goals [3]. Skills directly impact through knowledge and indirectly shape beliefs. Strong beliefs and expectations lead to bold goals that drive effort [3]. Results feed back to adjust beliefs over time [4]. Environments, like school quality or role models, shape experiences [4]. Confidence supports skills; tough tasks benefit from positive confidence to use abilities well [4]. The effect depends on balance: too much confidence risks failure, too little reduces effort or causes worry, while slightly high confidence is best for growth [3]. Mismatches cause issues like being unprepared or anxious [3]. SCCT offers ways to fix these through growth strategies [4].

 Satisfaction and Self-Management Models

The satisfaction model covers happiness in school or work, influenced by goal progress, beliefs, and environments. Mismatches hurt well-being [4]. The self-management model deals with adapting to changes and tasks over life, focusing on self-guidance [4]. Recent work blends SCCT with theories balancing reflection and action for better practice [7].

 Empirical Support and Extensions

Many studies, including group analyses, support SCCT for interests, choices, and performance [1]. Interests are driven by confidence and expectations; choices are strongly tied to interests, less to beliefs, with cultural differences where interests matter less [1]. Interests turn into goals and actions with good support and few obstacles [1]. SCCT includes work values as expectations for job conditions and rewards, noting external influences but focusing on inner choices [2]. Job aspirations, as goals, reflect confidence, expectations, and interests, guiding motivation [6]. Aspirations predict future choices and success, stronger if consistent, but less so for actual job gains due to opportunity limits [6]. Dream aspirations (ignoring barriers) differ from realistic expectations (practical, often lower status) [6]. Gaps come from views on skills, barriers, or chances, leading to early compromises, especially in teens [6]. Factors like barriers or social norms lower expectations [6]. Aspirations have layers (autonomy, tasks, people interaction, gender views) and are measured by questions about ideal or likely jobs, scored by status or work type [6]. SCCT connects school and work success, with achievements opening doors and shaping choices [6]. Gender, race, and economic status affect through access and social influences [6]. Recent studies map SCCT’s growing use in areas like business and science [9]. Reviews show it works for diverse groups, with potential for cultural applications [1]. 

Applications in Career Counseling and Development

SCCT offers tools to solve career challenges. Like P-E fit, it helps find matching jobs but focuses on building confidence through successes, observing others, encouragement, and calming fears. It clarifies expected outcomes and sets achievable goals [6]. For performance, if skills are good but confidence is low, emphasize stable reasons like ability, not luck, and challenge negative thoughts [6]. Add support like role models or job knowledge and set tough but doable goals to grow skills [6]. For obstacles, identify supports and rethink approaches [6]. It handles mismatches, like needing training for weak skills or noting that persistence isn’t always about ability [6]. SCCT boosts interests and skills by offering more experiences to prevent early limits [6]. For diverse groups, it fits by focusing on interests, confidence, and expectations, noting cultural impacts on choices [3]. Some critique that interests don’t always predict choices [3]. SCCT guides counseling with clear, testable ideas [3]. It’s used in programs showing personal and background factors, ideal for those with low expectations or economic challenges [7]. New uses include entrepreneurship education, where support builds confidence but may lower interests due to pressures, and help for at-risk youth through social growth or online sessions [11, 12].

psychology.iresearchnet.com SCCT Components Diagram

 Conclusion

SCCT provides a clear, growing framework based on Bandura’s ideas. It highlights self-guidance through thinking, despite personal and environmental factors [8]. By focusing on changeable elements, it complements other theories and promotes fairness by addressing unequal opportunities [4]. Studies confirm its use for interests, choices, performance, and newer areas like satisfaction and self-management [1]. It guides counseling to encourage positive actions and tackle limits effectively [6]. Recent blends with reflective theories improve practice, and global studies expand its impact on career choices [7, 8].

 Bibliography

1. Robert W. Lent, Steven D. Brown, Gail Hackett, 1994.

2. "The future of career", 2000.

3. "International handbook of career guidance", 2008.

4. Lent, 2020.

5. Duane Brown and Associates, 2002.

6. "Career development and counseling: putting theory and research to work", 2005.

7. Patton et McMahon, 2001.

8. Lee et al., 2014.

9. Lent & Sheu, 2010.

10. Snyder et Maddux, 1995.

11. Wang, Liu, and Deng, 2022 (Perspectives on SCCT in current times).

12. JEMI, Vol 20 Issue 1, 2024 (SCCT and entrepreneurial intentions).