Career Counseling and Krumboltz’s

Social Learning Theory

Looking at the “triadic reciprocal interaction system”

Bandura’s reinforcement theory
and observational learning

 Individuals’ personalities come more from their

learning experiences than from their genetics
 Learning by observation and by doing
 Acknowledges the role of behavior, thoughts and images

 Triadic reciprocal interaction system –

interaction of the environment, personal
factors (memories, beliefs, preferences, and self-
perceptions), and actual behavior
Bandura’s reciprocal interaction:

Environmental Factors Personal Factors

Actual Behavior
Bandura’s reciprocal interaction

Personal Factors

Self-System
Cognitive Structures & Perceptions

Behavior Environment
 Krumboltz’s Social Learning Theory

Genetic Environment & Learning Task- Client

Endowment Events Experiences Approach Cognitive
1. Social Factors 1. Insturmental Skills &
2. Educational Learning (H) Behavioral
conditions Skills
3. Occupational Self-observation
Conditions Generalizations
2. Associative 1. about Abilities
Learning 2. About Values
Experiences (O) 3. About the
World
 Instrumental Learning Experiences (H) vs. Associative
Learning Experiences (O)

 Three Components:  When an individual pairs a

 Antecedents – refers to situation that was
almost any type of previously neutral with one
condition; people respond to that is positive or negative,
antecedents with behavior an associative learning
experience occurs
 Behaviors – may be obvious
or subtle, may have impact
on others
 Consequences – may be
obvious or subtle

Example: if someone gets
an A on an exam, she will be
more likely to continue
studying in that field than if
she does poorly
Krumboltz’s Social Learning Theory
Counselor Behavior Strategies

 Reinforcement

 Role Models

 Role-Playing

 Simulation
Cognitive Strategies for Counseling

 Goal Clarification

 Counter a Troublesome Belief

 Look for Inconsistencies between Words and

Actions

 Cognitive Rehearsal
Social Learning Theory Goals for Career Counseling

 1. People need to expand their capabilities and

interests, and not base decisions on existing
characteristics only.

 2. People need to prepare for changing work tasks,

and not assume that occupations will remain
stable.

 3. People need to be empowered to take action, not

merely given a diagnosis.
 Applying Planned Happenstance Theory to
Career Counseling

 5 Skills helpful in dealing with chance career

opportunities.
 Curiosity

 Persistence

 Flexibility

 Optimism

 Risk Taking
 Applying Planned Happenstance Theory to
Career Counseling

 Step 1: Normalize planned happenstance in the

client’s history

 Step 2: Assist clients to transform curiosity into

opportunity for learning and exploration.

 Step 3: Teach clients to produce desirable chance

events.

 Step 4: Teach clients to overcome blacks to action.