Self-efficacy is a person’s belief in their ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish a task.
It is a central concept in Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory, and it has been shown to have a significant impact on a person’s motivation, behavior, and performance.
People with high self efficacy are more likely to set challenging goals for themselves, persist in the face of challenges, and recover from setbacks. They are also more likely to take risks, try new things, and learn from their mistakes.
On the other hand, people with low self efficacy are more likely to set easy goals, give up easily, and blame themselves for failures. They may also avoid challenges and new experiences.
Can be developed through a variety of experiences, including:
- Mastery experiences: When people successfully complete a task or achieve a goal, it can boost their self-efficacy.
- Vicarious learning: Watching others succeed can also increase self-efficacy, especially if the observer believes that they have similar skills and abilities to the person they are watching.
- Social persuasion: Positive feedback from others can also help to increase it.
- Enactive mastery experiences: This involves breaking down a difficult task into smaller, more manageable steps. By mastering each step, the person’s self efficacy will increase.
Self-efficacy is an important factor in determining a person’s success in many areas of life, including school, work, relationships, and health. By developing high self efficacy, people can set challenging goals, persist in the face of challenges, and achieve their full potential.
Here are some examples of self-efficacy:
- A student who believes that they can succeed in school has high academic self efficacy.
- A salesperson who believes that they can close a deal has high sales self efficacy.
- A person who believes that they can overcome a fear of public speaking has high public speaking self-efficacy.
Self efficacy is a dynamic construct, meaning that it can change over time. It can be increased through positive experiences and decreased through negative experiences. However, it is important to remember that self efficacy is not fixed. With effort, anyone can develop high self-efficacy and achieve their goals.
