A Social Cognitive View of Self-Regulated Learning About Health

• Published in: Health education & behavior Vol. 41; no. 5; pp. 485 - 491
• Main Authors: Clark, Noreen M., Zimmerman, Barry J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-10-2014; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Chronic Illness; Chronic illnesses; Clark; Cognition; Cognitive models; Diseases; Epistemology; Feedback (Response); Health Behavior; Health Education; Health Education - history; Health Promotion; History, 20th Century; Humans; Learning; Lung Diseases - history; Lung Diseases - prevention & control; Lung Diseases - therapy; Metacognition; Models, Theoretical; Motivation; Prevention; Role; Self Care - history; Self control; Self Efficacy; Self Management; Smoking; Social Cognition; Social Theories; Zimmerman
• ISSN: 1090-1981; 1552-6127
• DOI: 10.1177/1090198114547512

Researchers interested in health-related learning have recently begun to study processes people use to self-regulate their health and their ability to prevent or control chronic disease. This paper represents a social cognitive view of self-regulation that involves three classes of influence on self-regulating behavior: personal, behavioral, and environmental. This triadic model assumes that people self-regulate their health through the use of self-care strategies, setting reasonable health goals, and monitoring feedback concerning the effectiveness of strategies in meeting their goals. People's perceptions of self-efficacy are also assumed to play a major role in motivating them to self-regulate their health functioning. According to social cognitive theory, processes entailed in regulating one's health can be taught through social modeling, supports, and feedback; gradually these external supports are withdrawn as one is able to self-regulate. This paper will analyze self-regulation processes related to controlling or preventing lung disease, specifically management of asthma and eliminating smoking. The educational implications of the triadic model of self-regulation for promoting health and related behavioral functioning will be discussed.