Case Study: Examining Emdi's Behavior Through Social Cognitive Theory

This case study examines Emdi's life and behavior through the lens of Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). The assignment explores how Emdi's environment, including his socioeconomic background and social isolation, influenced his choices and actions. The analysis focuses on key SCT concepts such as reciprocal determinism, behavioral capacity, observational learning, reinforcements, and expectations. It highlights how Emdi's experiences led him to make choices that resulted in negative health outcomes, despite his awareness of the potential consequences. The study emphasizes the interplay between individual factors, environmental influences, and behavioral outcomes, demonstrating how SCT can be used to understand and explain complex human behaviors. References to Bandura (2011) and Spaulding (2018) provide theoretical support for the analysis.

High-Risk Sex reference to Social Cognitive Theory
The German government had encouraged immigration during the later part of the last century
to tackle the low birth rate in the country. However, there was no government control to limit
immigration based on the status of the migrated people. As a result, some migrated people
had no educational background and found it very difficult to survive there. The story of Emdi
was based on such a story from a migrated family. Emdi was boycotted socially at schools
because of his parents' background and started to mix with anti-social elements and had to
leave the house. He developed all kinds of bad habits particularly high risk sex with gay with
gay and bi-sexual people without taking any precaution. As a result he was attacked by HIV,
hepatitis B and syphilis. The environment around Emdi was responsible for this unfortunate
outcome. The case study can be analysed using social cognitive theory (SCT).
SCT explains how people can regulate their behaviour through reinforcement and control in
order to be influenced by targeted behaviour that can be maintained over time (Spaulding,
2018). In this case study, Emdi had to leave school because of his socio-economic
background and the isolation from boys of his age group led him to get all bad habits.
The concept of SCT focusses on Reciprocal Determinism. This alludes to the dynamic and
reciprocal interaction of a person (individual with a progression of learned experiences),
environmental (outer social setting) and conduct (responses to stimuli to accomplish
objectives). Other concepts regarding SCT include behavioural capacity (the person's ability
to perform behaviour), observational learning (observing the behaviour of others),
reinforcements (internal and external responses to someone's behaviour), expectations
(expected consequences), self-assessment and efficacy (level of confidence of the person in
his ability to perform the behaviour) (Bandura, 2011). Since Emdi had no social standing, he
became mentally disturbed, selected a group of people who would not humiliate him by
asking about his background. His case has a direct link to the concept of SCT components
like reciprocal determination, environmental settings, conduct and observational learnings.
He was knowing about the consequences (expectations) even then he has chosen this wrong
path to end his life out of frustration.
Bandura, A., 2011. Social cognitive theory. Handbook of social psychological theories, 2012,
pp.349-373.
Spaulding, S., 2018. How we understand others: Philosophy and social cognition. Routledge.