Advocating an agentic and potentialist view to health psychology

The article covers the notions of agency and potentials, social cognitive theory (SCT), their definition and importance for the health. These two notions are crucial for reorienting psychological investigations and interventions in accordance with new findings about human personality and the new demands of society. The notion of agency points to the fact that people may actively contribute to the full expression of their natural and social endowments, the notion of potentials highlights the fact that much of human strengths derive from people discovering and nurturing their capacities while acknowledging environmental opportunities. A basic goal of agentic and potentialist views is to shed light on the psychological systems that enable people to regulate their experiences and actions and thus to contribute to the development of their potentials. In this regard a large body of research attest to the merits of social cognitive theory (SCT) in providing a firm basis for guiding research and designing psychosocial interventions aimed at maximizing individuals' functioning and well being. SCT focuses on the unique properties of human agency that allow people to reflect on their capabilities for action and to accord their conduct to the pursuit of outcomes they value, and points to structures and processes which enable people to guide behaviour purposively and to chart the course of their life. Social cognitive theory and practice provide unique directions to identify the strategies more suitable to promote individual flourishing by enabling people to make choices and to engage in pursuits that mostly serve to their growth, health and well-being.