3 Self-Efficacy, Albert Bandura, Stanford University

Bandura, A. (1994). Self-efficacy. In V. S. Ramachaudran (Ed.), Encyclopedia of human

behavior (Vol. 4, pp. 71-81). New York: Academic Press. (Reprinted in H.
Friedman [Ed.], Encyclopedia of mental health. San Diego: Academic Press,
1998).

Perceived self-efficacy is defined as people's beliefs about their capabilities to produce

designated levels of performance that exercise influence over events that affect their
lives. Self- efficacy beliefs determine how people feel, think, motivate themselves and
behave. Such beliefs produce these diverse effects through four major processes. They
include cognitive, motivational, affective and selection processes.

A strong sense of efficacy enhances human accomplishment and personal well-being in

many ways. People with high assurance in their capabilities approach difficult tasks as
challenges to be mastered rather than as threats to be avoided. They set themselves
challenging goals and maintain strong commitment to them. They heighten and sustain
their efforts in the face of failure. They quickly recover their sense of efficacy after
failures or setbacks. They attribute failure to skills which are acquirable. They approach
threatening situations with assurance that they can exercise control over them. Such an
efficacious outlook produces personal accomplishments, reduces stress and lowers
vulnerability to depression.

In contrast, people who doubt their capabilities shy away from difficult tasks which they
view as personal threats. They have low aspirations and weak commitment to the goals
they choose to pursue. When faced with difficult tasks, they dwell on their personal
deficiencies, on the obstacles they will encounter, and all kinds of adverse outcomes
rather than concentrate on how to perform successfully. They slacken their efforts and
give up quickly in the face of difficulties. They are slow to recover their sense of efficacy
following failure or setbacks. Because they view insufficient performance as deficient
aptitude it does not require much failure for them to lose faith in their capabilities.

I. Sources of Self-Efficacy

People's beliefs about their efficacy can be developed by four main sources of influence.
The most effective way of creating a strong sense of efficacy is through mastery
experiences. Successes build a robust belief in one's personal efficacy. Failures
undermine it, especially if failures occur before a sense of efficacy is firmly established.

If people experience only easy successes they come to expect quick results and are easily
discouraged by failure. A resilient sense of efficacy requires experience in overcoming
obstacles through perseverant effort. After people become convinced they have what it
takes to succeed, they persevere in the face of adversity and quickly rebound from
setbacks. By sticking it out through tough times, they emerge stronger from adversity.

The second way of creating and strengthening self-beliefs of efficacy is through the
vicarious experiences provided by social models. Seeing people similar to oneself
succeed by sustained effort raises observers' beliefs that they too possess the capabilities
master comparable activities to succeed. By the same token, observing others' fail despite
high effort lowers observers' judgments of their own efficacy and undermines their
efforts. The impact of modeling on perceived self-efficacy is strongly influenced by
perceived similarity to the models. The greater the assumed similarity the more
persuasive are the models' successes and failures.

Modeling influences do more than provide a social standard against which to judge one's
own capabilities. People seek proficient models who possess the competencies to which
they aspire. Through their behavior and expressed ways of thinking, competent models
transmit knowledge and teach observers effective skills and strategies for managing
environmental demands. Acquisition of better means raises perceived self-efficacy.

Social persuasion is a third way of strengthening people's beliefs that they have what it
takes to succeed. People who are persuaded verbally that they possess the capabilities to
master given activities are likely to mobilize greater effort and sustain it than if they
harbor self-doubts and dwell on personal deficiencies when problems arise. To the extent
that persuasive boosts in perceived self-efficacy lead people to try hard enough to
succeed, they promote development of skills and a sense of personal efficacy.

It is more difficult to instill high beliefs of personal efficacy by social persuasion alone
than to undermine it. Unrealistic boosts in efficacy are quickly disconfirmed by
disappointing results of one's efforts. But people who have been persuaded that they lack
capabilities tend to avoid challenging activities that cultivate potentialities and give up
quickly in the face of difficulties. By constricting activities and undermining motivation,
disbelief in one's capabilities creates its own behavioral validation.

People also rely partly on their emotional states in judging their capabilities. They
interpret their stress reactions and tension as signs of vulnerability to poor performance.
In activities involving strength and stamina, people judge their fatigue, aches and pains as
signs of physical debility. Mood also affects people's judgments of their personal
efficacy. Positive mood enhances perceived self-efficacy, despondent mood diminishes it.
The fourth way of modifying self-beliefs of efficacy is to reduce people's stress reactions
and alter their negative emotional proclivities and misinterpretations of their physical
states.

It is not the sheer intensity of emotional and physical reactions that is important but rather
how they are perceived and interpreted. People who have a high sense of efficacy are
likely to view their state of affective arousal as an energizing facilitator of performance,
whereas those who are beset by self- doubts regard their arousal as a debilitator.
Physiological indicators of efficacy play an especially influential role in health
functioning and in athletic and other physical activities.
2 Self-Efficacy, Albert Bandura, Stanford University

Bandura, A. (1994). Self-efficacy. In V. S. Ramachaudran (Ed.), Encyclopedia of

human behavior (Vol. 4, pp. 71-81). New York: Academic Press. (Reprinted
in H. Friedman [Ed.], Encyclopedia of mental health. San Diego: Academic
Press, 1998).

Self-efficacy is defined as people's beliefs about their capabilities to exercise

influence over events that affect their lives. Self- efficacy beliefs determine how
people feel, think, motivate themselves and behave.

A strong sense of efficacy improves human accomplishment and personal well-

being in many ways. People with high assurance in their capabilities approach
difficult tasks as challenges to be mastered rather than as threats to be avoided.
They set themselves challenging goals and maintain strong commitment to them.
They heighten their efforts in the face of failure. They quickly recover their sense
of efficacy after failures or setbacks. They attribute failure to skills which are
acquirable. They approach threatening situations with assurance that they can
exercise control over them. Such an efficacious outlook produces personal
accomplishments, reduces stress and lowers vulnerability to depression.

In contrast, people who doubt their capabilities stay away from difficult tasks
which they view as personal threats. They have low goals and weak commitment
to the goals they choose to pursue. When faced with difficult tasks, they think
about their personal deficiencies, about the obstacles they will encounter, and all
kinds of poor outcomes rather than concentrate on how to perform successfully.
They lower their efforts and give up quickly in the face of difficulties. They are
slow to recover their sense of efficacy following failure. Because they view
insufficient performance as low aptitude it does not require much failure for them
to lose faith in their capabilities.

I. Sources of Self-Efficacy

People's beliefs about their efficacy can be developed by four main sources of
influence.

The most effective way of creating a strong sense of efficacy is through successful
experiences. Successes build a robust belief in one's personal efficacy. Failures
undermine it, especially if failures occur before a sense of efficacy is firmly
established.

If people experience only easy successes they come to expect quick results and are
easily discouraged by failure. A strong sense of efficacy requires experience in
overcoming obstacles through perseverant effort. After people become convinced
they have what it takes to succeed, they persevere in the face of adversity and
quickly rebound from setbacks. By sticking it out through tough times, they
emerge stronger from adversity.

The second way of creating and strengthening self-beliefs of efficacy is through

watching people like oneself. Seeing people similar to oneself succeed by
sustained effort raises observers' beliefs that they too possess the capabilities
master comparable activities to succeed. By the same token, observing others' fail
despite high effort lowers observers' judgments of their own efficacy and
undermines their efforts.

Social persuasion is a third way of strengthening people's beliefs that they have
what it takes to succeed. People who are told that they can do given activities are
likely to make greater effort and sustain it than if they harbor self-doubts and
dwell on personal deficiencies when problems arise.

It is more difficult to create high beliefs of personal efficacy by social persuasion

than to undermine it. People believe it more easily when told they are incapable of
something more than when told they can do something. Also, people who have
been persuaded that they lack capabilities tend to avoid challenging activities, and
give up quickly in the face of difficulties. By constricting activities and
undermining motivation, disbelief in one's capabilities creates its own behavioral
validation.

The fourth way of modifying self-beliefs of efficacy is to reduce people's stress

reactions and reduce their negative emotions and misinterpretations of their
physical states. People interpret their stress reactions and tension as signs of
vulnerability to poor performance. In activities involving strength and stamina,
people judge their fatigue, aches and pains as signs of physical debility. Mood also
affects people's judgments of their personal efficacy. Positive mood enhances
perceived self-efficacy, despondent mood diminishes it.
1 Self-Efficacy, Albert Bandura, Stanford University

Bandura, A. (1994). Self-efficacy. In V. S. Ramachaudran (Ed.), Encyclopedia of

human behavior (Vol. 4, pp. 71-81). New York: Academic Press. (Reprinted
in H. Friedman [Ed.], Encyclopedia of mental health. San Diego: Academic
Press, 1998).

Self-efficacy is defined as people's beliefs about their capabilities to exercise

influence over events that affect their lives. Self- efficacy beliefs determine how
people feel, think, motivate themselves and behave.

A strong sense of efficacy improves human accomplishment and personal well-

being in many ways. People with high self-efficacy set themselves challenging
goals and maintain strong commitment to them. They try hard. If they fail, they try
harder afterwards. Such an efficacious outlook produces personal
accomplishments, reduces stress and lowers vulnerability to depression.

In contrast, people who doubt their capabilities stay away from difficult tasks
which they view as personal threats. They have low aspirations and weak
commitment to the goals they choose to pursue.

I. Sources of Self-Efficacy

People's beliefs about their efficacy can be developed by four main sources of
influence.

The most effective way of creating a strong sense of efficacy is through

experiences of success. However, people also need to bounce back from failure to
learn that they can make it through failure.

Second, self-efficacy is built by watching people similar to oneself succeed.

Social persuasion is a third way of strengthening people's beliefs that they have
what it takes to succeed. People who are told that they can do given activities are
likely to make greater effort and sustain it than if they harbor self-doubts and
dwell on personal deficiencies when problems arise.

The fourth way of modifying self-beliefs of efficacy is to reduce people's stress

reactions and reduce their negative emotions and misinterpretations of their
physical states. People interpret their stress reactions and tension as signs of
vulnerability to poor performance. In activities involving strength and stamina,
people judge their fatigue, aches and pains as signs of physical debility. Mood also
affects people's judgments of their personal efficacy. Positive mood enhances
perceived self-efficacy, despondent mood diminishes it.