Self-Efficacy

CORE DEFINITION

Self-efficacy, or personal efficacy, measures the degree or strength of an individual's belief in their ability to complete tasks and achieve goals. Psychologists study self-efficacy from several perspectives: the different pathways of its development, the dynamics and consequences of its absence in various environments, the interrelationship between self-efficacy and self-concept, and the habits of attribution that can promote or diminish self-efficacy. Self-efficacy affects all areas of human endeavor. The belief that one's power can influence situations strongly affects how well individuals actually perform when facing intense challenges and the choices they are most likely to make. These effects are particularly evident and compelling, just as behavior affects health. Judge et al. (2002) elaborated on the concepts of locus of control and neuroticism, concluding that self-efficacy (which is distinct from Albert Bandura's self-efficacy theory) and self-esteem are identical, single-factor concepts, and demonstrated that they are interrelated.