ABSTRACT
Self-efficacy
Perceived self-efficacy is concerned with people's
beliefs in their capabilities to exercise control
over their own functioning and over events that
affect their lives.
Beliefs in personal efficacy affect life choices,
level of motivation, quality of functioning,
resilience to adversity and vulnerability to
stress and depression. People's beliefs in their
efficacy are developed by four main sources
of influence. They include mastery experiences,
seeing people similar to oneself manage task
demands successfully, social persuasion that
one has the capabilities to succeed in given
activities, and inferences from somatic and
emotional states indicative of personal strengths
and vulnerabilities. Ordinary realities are
strewn with impediments, adversities, setbacks,
frustrations and inequities.
People must, therefore, have a robust sense
of efficacy to sustain the perseverant effort
needed to succeed. Succeeding periods of life
present new types of competency demands requiring
further development of personal efficacy for
successful functioning. The nature and scope
of perceived self-efficacy undergo changes throughout
the course of the lifespan.