Chapter 2: Toward an Agentic Theory of the Self

The present chapter addresses the self from the agentic perspective of social cognitive theory. The conception of the self must be analyzed within the broader context of the model of human nature in which it is rooted. Our conceptions of human nature have changed markedly over time. In the early theological conceptions human nature was ordained by divine design. Evolutionism transformed the conception to one in which human nature is shaped by environmental pressures acting on random gene mutations and reproductive recombinations. This nonteleological process is devoid of deliberate plans or purposes.

The symbolic ability to comprehend, predict, and alter the course of events provides considerable functional advantages. The evolutionary emergence of language and abstract and deliberative cognitive capacities provided the neuronal structure for supplanting aimless environmental selection with cognitive agency. Human forebears evolved into a sentient agentic species. Their advanced symbolizing capacity enabled humans to transcend the dictates of their immediate environment. It made them unique in their power to shape their environment and the course of their lives. Through cognitive self-regulation, humans can visualize futures that act on the present; order preferences rooted in personal values; construct, evaluate, and modify alternative courses of action; anticipate possible outcomes of the options considered; and override environmental influences.