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"Self-efficacy" refers to "expectations of personal efficacy," which are hypothesized to determine coping behavior "in the face of obstacles and aversive experiences" (Bandura, 1977, p. 191). Although self-efficacy is, indeed, a personality variable, it is not an innate aspect of an individual's personality. Rather, it is a belief that is learned through one's experiences.
Bandura defined "efficacy expectation," which we can think of as "high self-efficacy," as "the conviction that one can successfully execute the behavior required to produce" certain "outcomes" (Bandura, 1977, p. 193). "Self-efficacy" can also be thought of as an experientially learned belief that individuals can use to exercise mastery within a given situation. According to Bandura, "resilient self-efficacy" ..."provides the needed staying power" to function when faced with the adversities of daily life (Bandura, 2001, p 21). Implications for the workplace Self-efficacy and its integrative framework have substantial implications for educational and work environments because they suggest that those environments can be manipulated to help individuals develop a sense of mastery, which will, in turn, determine whether they continue to try to cope and succeed in challenging or difficult situations. "Self-efficacy" is often compared to "locus-of-control," but the two are not the same. However, Bandura theorizes that LOC can mediate the "effects of performance attainments on self-efficacy" (Bandura, 1977, p. 204). References Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy. Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84, 191-215. Bandura, A. (2001). The changing face of pyschology at the dawning of a globalization era. Canadian Psychology, 42, 12-24. |
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