Albert Bandura

Analysis of basic mechanisms of human agency through which people exercise control over their level of functioning and events that affect their lives. One line of research is concerned with how people regulate their own motivation, thought patterns, affective states and behavior through beliefs of personal and collective efficacy. A second line of research examines the paramount role of self-regulatory mechanisms relying on internal standards and self-influence in human self-development, adaptation, and change. These mechanisms are studied in the areas of sociocognitive development, affect regulation, health promotion and disease prevention, organizational functioning, and collective action for social change.