6.2: Self-Efficacy
- Page ID
- 206270
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Self-efficacy, the belief in one's ability to succeed, is influenced by past experiences, observational learning, visualization, social persuasion, and emotional state. These factors collectively shape confidence and capability in facing challenges. In the world of control, there's a fundamental belief captured in "I think I can, I think I can." This sentiment reflects an individual's confidence in their ability to influence outcomes through personal action, a concept outlined by Albert Bandura¹⁷, a behavioral psychologist. It comprises two critical components: Outcome Expectancy (OE), evaluating the task, and Efficacy Expectancy (EE), assessing one's capability to achieve it. Notably, EE carries more weight, representing belief in personal abilities over external factors.
Most studies in this field are conducted in North America, using scales tailored to its culture. American values prioritize future mastery, goal-oriented activities, and individualism. However, within the U.S., individuals from Cuban, Mexican, and Puerto Rican backgrounds tend to focus more on the present. Eastern cultures view suffering differently, not always negatively. For instance, Asian Americans may exhibit higher pessimism, but it's linked to better problem-solving, unlike most US data on caucasians (Chang, 1996)¹⁸. This suggests that optimism doesn't benefit everyone equally. Hence, it's vital not to assume universal correlations.
Practice Improving Your Positive Future
1. Identify someone who possesses a trait you admire. Observe their behavior and actions related to that trait, and emulate them when appropriate. Don't hesitate to ask them for advice on how they developed that characteristic.
2. Set specific goals (HOPE). Break down larger aspirations into manageable steps. For instance, if your goal is to achieve a 4.0 average this semester, outline the actions needed to reach it. Anticipate potential obstacles and plan strategies to overcome them.
3. Focus on pursuing smaller goals one step at a time. Concentrate on completing each task before moving on to the next, maintaining steady progress towards your ultimate objective.
4. When faced with setbacks or challenges, adopt an optimistic explanatory style. Rather than dwelling on negative outcomes, seek positive explanations and constructive lessons from the experience. Whether it's a disappointing grade or a lost video game, approach setbacks with optimism and resilience.
Fostering optimism about your future goals can fuel your motivation and increase the likelihood of success. Research by Sheldon and Lyubomirsky (2006)¹⁹ found that visualizing your best possible self boosts immediate positive emotions, with continued practice leading to sustained happiness even a month later. Stronger self-efficacy links to lower anxiety and depression, higher pain tolerance, improved academics, more political engagement, successful smoking cessation, and positive behavior changes like exercise and diet adherence, including aiding eating disorder recovery. Additionally, it's beneficial in enhancing psychotherapy effectiveness.
Even the perception of control, whether real or fake, can influence your health. In an experiment where participants were exposed to a stressful noise, those who were given a fake control option, such as a non-functioning button to mitigate the noise, showed improved health outcomes compared to those with no control option at all. This suggests that the mere belief in control, even if it's illusory, can positively impact health by reducing the stress response and bolstering immune function. Therefore, having a sense of control, even if it's not genuine, can still be beneficial for your well-being (Sieber et al., 1992)²¹.
Definitions
- Self-efficacy
- the belief in one's ability to succeed
- Outcome Expectancy (OE)
- evaluating what needs to be done
- Efficacy Expectancy (EE)
- evaluating your capability to do something
Attribution
¹⁷Bandura, 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).
¹⁸Chang, E. C. (1996). Cultural differences in optimism, pessimism, and coping: Predictors of subsequent adjustment in Asian American and Caucasian American college students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 43(1), 113–123. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.43.1.113
¹⁹Sheldon, K. M., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2006). How to increase and sustain positive emotion: The effects of expressing gratitude and visualizing best possible selves. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 1(2), 73–82. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760500510676
²⁰Bandura, A. (2006). Guide for constructing self-efficacy scales. In F. Pajares & T. Urdan (Eds.), Self-efficacy beliefs of adolescents (Vol. 5, pp. 307-337). Information Age Publishing.
²¹Sieber, W. J., Rodin, J., Larson, L., Ortega, S., Cummings, N., Levy, S., Whiteside, T., & Herberman, R. (1992). Modulation of human natural killer cell activity by exposure to uncontrollable stress. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 6(2), 141–156. https://doi.org/10.1016/0889-1591(92)90014-F