Gail Hackett

Gail Hackett

Gail Hackett is the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).  Hackett's early research and writing draw the work of Albert Bandura; Bandura's theory is know as Social Cognitive Theory. Contemporaries of Hackett who have developed career and behavior theories based upon the Social Cognitive Theory include John Krumboltz, Robert W. Lent, and Steven D. Brown.

Together with Lent and Brown, Hackett developed the Social Cognitive Learning Theory (or what is sometimes referred to as the Social Cognitive Career Theory or Social Cognitive Career Choice) in 1994.  Their research and writing on Social Cognitive Learning Theory has continued to develop over the last two decades since its original publication.

Drawing on Bandura, Lent, Brown, and Hackett argue that individuals unique learning experiences (social learning) are vital components that impact the development of personalities, behaviors and choices. They argue that personal factors such as beliefs, personal experiences, and environmental factors interact in order to impact our human development and behaviors.

Image Source: Hackett presentation at University Missouri-Kansas City found here.

More specifically, the Social Cognitive Learning Theory that Hackett and her colleagues draw on suggests that two types of learning experiences, instrumental and associative, strongly influence career decisions and choices.  Instrumental learning experiences are related to rewards and punishments.  The idea is that individuals are more likely to try something again if they were rewarded the first time they tried it and not as likely to try it again if they were punished upon their first attempt.  Associative learning experiences are lessons that we as individuals internalize based on what we have observed others experience and/or what we perceive society to encourage or discourage.

Hackett and her colleagues suggest that it is important in career counseling to help clients build positive self efficacy expectations so that they can set goals and engage in behaviors that contribute to them believing those goals are achievable.

Image Source: ACM found here.

In her career after publishing the Social Cognitive Learning Theory, Hackett has continued to teach and do research in counseling psychology while increasingly playing a large role in higher education administration at Arizona State University and the University of Misssouri-Kansas City, where she worked before accepting her current role at VCU.

For a simple overview of Social Cognitive Learning Theory look at the Microsoft Word handout provided on the University of South Florida's website here.