The first media effects theory we are talking about in class is the Social Cognitive Theory. This theory provides a framework that allows us to analyze the human cognitions (or mental functions) that produce certain behaviors (Bryant, Thompson, & Finklea, p. 57, 2013). My definition of Social Cognitive Theory is the study as well as analysis of the human brain on how certain behaviors happen. In chapter four of the textbook, we read about this theory. One main idea that I found interesting was that people react differently in different situations, and scholars think that the interaction between a person and a situation produces a particular behavior (Bryant, et al, p. 57). Another main idea that stood out to me was the BoBo doll
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As previously stated, one group of young children were shown a video of an individual performing aggressive acts on a BoBo doll and that person was rewarded for their aggressive behavior. A second group of young children were shown the same type of video, but the person performing the aggressive acts was scolded instead of praised. The children who saw the individual be praised for their aggressive acts didn't hesitate to perform the same acts on the BoBo doll. However, the children who saw the individual get scolded for their aggressive acts did hesitate to perform those aggressive acts, but they eventually did beat up the BoBo doll. Social Cognitive Theory could be applied to social media because, just like Bandura's experiment, people today that use social media sites, such as Facebook, constantly see how other's are acting around them. When someone reads a powerful negative or positive post then their mood can change depending on the situation of the post. Therefore, when someone reads a powerful post their actions can be influenced by said post. For example, a women reads a positive post from her friend about how that afternoon she was going through the Mcdonald's drive-thru and the person in front of her paid for her
As previously stated, one group of young children were shown a video of an individual performing aggressive acts on a BoBo doll and that person was rewarded for their aggressive behavior. A second group of young children were shown the same type of video, but the person performing the aggressive acts was scolded instead of praised. The children who saw the individual be praised for their aggressive acts didn't hesitate to perform the same acts on the BoBo doll. However, the children who saw the individual get scolded for their aggressive acts did hesitate to perform those aggressive acts, but they eventually did beat up the BoBo doll. Social Cognitive Theory could be applied to social media because, just like Bandura's experiment, people today that use social media sites, such as Facebook, constantly see how other's are acting around them. When someone reads a powerful negative or positive post then their mood can change depending on the situation of the post. Therefore, when someone reads a powerful post their actions can be influenced by said post. For example, a women reads a positive post from her friend about how that afternoon she was going through the Mcdonald's drive-thru and the person in front of her paid for her