ABSTRACT: The present article examines the nature and function of human agency within the conceptual model of triadic reciprocal causation. In analyzing the operation of human agency in this interactional causal structure, social cognitive theory accords a central role to cognitive, vicarious, self-reflective, and self-regulatory processes. The issues addressed concern the psychological mechanisms through which personal agency is exercised, the hierarchical structure of self-regulatory systems, eschewal of the dichotomous construal of self as agent and self as object, and the properties of a nondualistic but nonreductional conception of human agency. The relation of agent causality to the fundamental issues of freedom and determinism is also analyzed. The recent years have witnessed a resurgence of interest

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www.bpsjournals.co.uk Characteristics of participants in the Forum, psychotherapy clients, and control participants: A comparative study Gidi Rubinstein* School of Behavioral Sciences, Netanya Academic College, Israel ‘New age ’ activities, personality variables, symptomatology, and subjective well-being (SWB) among the Forum (F) participants, psychotherapy (P) clients, individuals who are both Forum and psychotherapy (FP) clients, and control (C) participants, who were never involved in either F or P were compared. A group of 64 Israeli men and 76 women (mean age 38.55 years) completed a demographic questionnaire; the Internalexternal, Sensation-seeking, Happiness, Affects balance, Satisfaction with life, and Anxiety and depression scales of the SCL-90. The FP and F participants used occult counsellors significantly more than the C participants, although gender differences were also found. All in all, the FP and P clients were more depressive and anxious, and less