Foundational knowledge - Traditional Theories and Models of Behavior Change

Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) claims that there is a reciprocal relationship among the person, their behavior and the environment. This theory emphasizes on social influence and the importance of external and internal social reinforcement (Bandura, 1996). The SCT has the following components that need to be addressed when designing health change interventions and behaviors:

1. Reciprocal Determinism is the central concept of SCT. It refers to the dynamic and reciprocal interaction of a person (individual with a set of learned experiences), the environment (external social context), and the behavior (responses to stimuli to achieve goals) (Bandura, 1996).
2. Behavioral Capability refers to a person's actual ability to perform a behavior through essential knowledge and skills. To accomplish the desired behavior, the person must have the knowledge to do it. People learn from both the consequences of their behavior and the environment in which they live (Bandura, 1996).
3. Observational Learning means that people can witness and observe a behavior conducted by others and then reproduce those actions, a concept called "modelling" of behaviors. If people see a successful demonstration of behavior, they can also perform the behavior successfully (Bandura, 1996).
4. Reinforcements refer to the internal or external responses to a person's behavior that affect the probability of continuing or discontinuing the behavior. Reinforcements can be initiated by the person or existent in the environment, and reinforcements can be positive or negative (Bandura, 1996).
5. Expectations refer to the anticipated consequences of a person's behavior. People anticipate the consequences of their actions before engaging in the behavior, and these consequences can influence the successful completion of the behavior. Expectations derive primarily from previous experiences, and they focus on the value placed on the outcome and are subjective to the individual (Bandura, 1996).
6. Self-efficacy refers to the level of a person's confidence in the ability of performing a behavior successfully. Self-efficacy is influenced by a person's specific capabilities and other individual factors and environmental factors that can be perceived as barriers and facilitators (Bandura, 1996).

Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1996)

SCT and mHealth

SCT was successfully used for mHealth applications in weight loss interventions (Burke et al., 2012), promoting physical activity (Baretta et al., 2019; Freigoun et al., 2017), chronic disease management (Whittemore et al., 2020), and smoking cessation (Ghorai et al., 2014).