Self- efficacy

meaning

According to Albert Bandura, self-efficacy is "the

belief in one’s capabilities to organize and execute
the courses of action required to manage
prospective situations.“
In other words, self-efficacy is a person’s belief in his
or her ability to succeed in a particular situation.

• Self Efficacy: Believing in Yourself

• 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 insufficient effort or
deficient knowledge and skills which are acquirable.
 Self Efficacy Defined
• Refers to an individual’s belief that he
or she is capable of performing a
task.

• Beliefs and expectations about one’s

ability to accomplish a specific task
effectively
 Facts about Self-Efficacy
LOW SELF EFFICACY: HIGH SELF-EFFICACY
• are more likely to lessen • Will try harder when faced
their effort or give up with a challenge
altogether • Will respond better to
• Question whether or not negative feedback with
they can complete a task increased effort and
motivation
 Let’s Start with a Quiz
• On a scale of 1-5
– 1 = not confident
– 3 = somewhat confident
– 5 = very confident
• How confident are you that if asked run:
• 100 yards
• 5k
• a marathon
 Quiz – Label the following as self-efficacy,
self-concept or self-esteem
• “I can put my ideas into writing” – Self-efficacy
• “On the whole, I am satisfied with myself” –
Self-esteem
• “I am good at science” – Self-concept
• “I’m confident I can choose an appropriate
formula to solve a chemical problem” – Self-
efficacy
Sources of self efficacy
Sources of self efficacy
 Sources of self efficacy
Performance accomplishment / Mastery Experiences
• "The most effective way of developing a strong sense of
efficacy is through mastery experiences," Bandura
explained. Performing a task successfully strengthens our
sense of self-efficacy. However, failing to adequately deal
with a task or challenge can undermine and weaken self-
efficacy.

• For example, Shyam KC feels more confident about

preparing a great science fair project this year, after having
placed in the top 3 at last year’s fair.
 Social modeling/ Vicarious experience
• Witnessing other people successfully completing a
task is another important source of self-efficacy.
According to Bandura, "Seeing people similar to
oneself succeed by sustained effort raises observers'
beliefs that they too possess the capabilities to
master comparable activities to succeed.
• For example, although public speaking makes her nervous, Rita
Chaudhary feels better about her upcoming welcome speech at
the annual function of the campus speech after having watched
her best friend Nita deliver a speech that was well-received by
their peers.
• Social persuasion refers to verbal
encouragement or discouragement about a
person’s ability to perform. Typically, the more
credible the source, the more impact this
source is likely to have on a person’s self-
efficacy.

For example, when Shyam’s teacher reminds him how much

Shyam has improved his writing since the beginning of the
year, new writing assignments seem less difficult .
Psychological Responses
• Our own responses and emotional reactions to situations
also play an important role in self-efficacy. Moods, 
emotional states, physical reactions, and stress levels can
all impact how a person feels about their personal
abilities in a particular situation. A person who becomes
extremely nervous before speaking in public may develop
a weak sense of self-efficacy in these situations.
 For example, Pramod feels anxious before the look geet contest , but
he takes a moment to breathe and reframe this emotion as excitement
to perform before his family and friends. He finds that this helps him to
feel better about how he will do in his performance
 Process of self-efficacy
Four major psychological processes through
which self-beliefs of efficacy affect human
functioning
• Cognitive Processes
these include self-appraisal of capabilities, skills, and
resources; goal selection; construction of success and
failure scenarios in the goal accomplishment
processes; generation and selection of problem-
solving options; sustaining the necessary attention
and functioning for task completion.
• B. Motivational Processes
Self-efficacy beliefs affect one's self-regulation of
motivation. Three cognitive motivators, namely,
“attribution,” “value of expected outcomes,” and
“clarity and value of goals” have been identified as
being influenced by self-efficacy beliefs
• Affective Processes
: a person's self-perception of coping abilities
affects the person's arousal threshold and their
tolerance of emotional threats like anxiety and
depression Even the process and outcome of
threat management can be affected by
procedures like guiding imagery to adjust
anxiety symptoms when encountering
stressors
 Selection Process
decisions on choice of residence, career, family
setup, and even use of time can directly
influence a person's functioning.
In order to attain the outcomes they are
interested in, people with high self-efficacy are
more proactive in selecting and creating a
physical and social environment that matches
their perceived capabilities and resources.
 Impact of self efficacy
• Self-efficacy can have a powerful influence
over how people behave, including the
motivation they have to pursue their goals
 People who have higher levels of self-efficacy:

1. Tend to view the challenges they face as things to be

mastered.
2. Rather than getting discouraged in the face of obstacles,
they see it as an opportunity to learn new things, acquire
new skills, and grow as a person.
3. Setbacks are inevitable in life, but people who possess a
strong sense of self-efficacy are more likely to recover
quickly.
4. They also tend to be more involved in the pursuit of their
goals and take more active role in the activities in which
they participate.
5. Feel more intrinsically motivated to pursue goals.
By contrast, people with a weaker sense of
self-efficacy may tend to:
1. View challenges as overwhelming and
something to be avoided.
2. Get discouraged and give up when they face
obstacles in the path of reaching their goals.
3. Avoid getting deeply involved and are less
committed to groups and activities.
 Implications of Self-Efficacy in the Workplace
Selection/Promotion Decisions
• Organizations should select individuals who have high levels
of self-efficacy. These people will be motivated to engage in
the behaviors that will help them perform well in the
workplace. A measure of self-efficacy can be administered
during the hiring/promotion process.
Training and Development
Organizations should consider employee levels of self-efficacy
when choosing among candidates for training and
development programs. Training investment can be realized
by sending only those employees high in self-efficacy. These
people will tend to learn more from the training and,
Goal Setting and Performance
• Organizations can encourage higher
performance goals from employees who have
high levels of self-efficacy. This will lead to
higher levels of job performance from
employees,
 Benefits of self efficacy

• Managerial Performance
• Sales
• Learning and Task Related Achievement
• Job Search
• Research Productivity
• Adaptability to Advanced Technology
• Career Choice and Academic Behavior
• Coping With Career Related Events
• Skill Acquisition
• Newcomer Adjustment to the Organizational Setting
 Some other implications/Benefits of self
efficacy
• Academic Achievement
• Healthy Behaviors
• Athletic Performance
• Self-Regulation