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The social foundations of thought and action may be more decisive than appears in Bandura’s social cognitive theory. The universality of self-efficacy processes is especially discussed. The thesis according to which processes depend on social and cultural factors is supported by the analysis of Bandura’s writings and by results of intercultural studies. Bandura’s model may provide a better description of processes operating in certain kinds of populations characterized by their social or cultural membership. For example, the theory may apply better to Western culture than to Asian cultures. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the compatibility of Bandura’s conceptions with approaches that give the primacy to the social and cultural anchoring of cognitive processes.