SELF-EFFICACY

BY: Muhammad Sabir

Muzammil Irshad
SELF-EFFICACY DEFINITIONS
 A concept originally proposed by the psychologist Albert Bandura, refers to an
individual's belief in their capacity to execute behaviors necessary to produce specific
performance attainments.

 The term self-efficacy refers to an individual's confidence in their ability to complete a

task or achieve a goal.

 According to psychologist Albert Bandura, the first proponent of the concept, self-efficacy
is the product of past experience, observation, persuasion, and emotion.
Continue;
 According to Bandura, two factors influence whether or not someone engages in a
particular behavior:
 outcome expectancy
 self-efficacy.

 In other words, our ability to achieve a goal or complete a task depends on whether
we think we can do it (self-efficacy), and whether we think it will have good results
(outcome expectancy).

 Self-efficacy has important effects on the amount of effort individuals apply to a given
task. For example, a student who has a lower level of self-efficacy for math might avoid
signing up for challenging math classes.
How we Develop Self-Efficacy
 Personal Experience: When predicting their ability to succeed at a new task, individuals
often look to their past experiences with similar tasks.

 Observation: Researchers have found that our self-efficacy for a given activity is more
likely to increase when we see someone else succeed at that activity through hard work,
rather than natural ability.

 Persuasion: Sometimes, other people may try to increase our self-efficacy by offering
support and encouragement.

 Emotion: Bandura suggested that emotions such as fear and anxiety can undermine our
feelings of self-efficacy. On the other hand, positive emotions can generate greater feeling of
self-efficacy
Ways to Increase Self-Efficacy

 Get out of the comfort zone: Leaving one’s comfort zone involves trial and error,
learning, and the opportunity to engage in new, meaningful pursuits. 

 Set SMART goals: Effective goal-setting is argued to increase self-efficacy across a range
of areas, including language interpretation, health-related behavior change, and work
performance.

 Look at the bigger picture:  We have higher goals to achieve, and sticking to this
perspective helps in maintaining a high self-efficacy.

 Reframe obstacles: Obstacles are a natural part of moving beyond our comfort zones and
tackling challenges. Therefore, it is important to think about obstacles in a constructive
way that does not risk undermining our self-efficacy.
Clarifications and distinctions
 Self-efficacy versus Efficacy:  Efficacy is the power to produce an effect. self-efficacy
refers to the belief (accurate or not) that one has the power to produce that effect or not.
Self-efficacy is the belief in one's efficacy.

 Self-efficacy versus Self-esteem: Self-efficacy is the perception of one's own ability to

reach a goal. self-esteem is the sense of self-worth.

 Self-efficacy versus Confidence:  Confidence is a nonspecific term that refers to strength

of belief but does not necessarily specify what the certainty is about. self-efficacy refers to
belief in one's agentive capabilities, that one can produce given levels of attainment.

 Self-efficacy versus Self-concept: Self-efficacy comprises beliefs of personal capability to

perform specific actions. Self-concept is measured more generally and includes the
evaluation of such competence and the feelings of self-worth associated with the behaviors
in question.
Thank you