Which set of processes comprises Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory?

• A. Attention, Retention, Motor Reproduction, Motivation
• B. Attention, Retention, Reinforcement, Motivation
• C. Observation, Retention, Motor Reproduction, Motivation
• D. Attention, Encoding, Motor Reproduction, Motivation

Answer: (A)

Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory explains how people learn from watching others and then imitate what they see, through a sequence of cognitive processes. The four steps are attention, retention, motor reproduction, and motivation. Attention is when the learner notices the model and the behavior; retention is the ability to remember the observed behavior; motor reproduction is translating that remembered plan into action; motivation is the drive to perform the behavior, influenced by expected outcomes and reinforcement (including learning from others’ rewards or punishments). The option that lists these exact four processes—Attention, Retention, Motor Reproduction, Motivation—is the best fit. The other choices mix in terms like reinforcement, encoding, or observation, which are not the four processes Bandura identifies in this model.