What is self-efficacy? Self-efficacy refers to a person’s confidence or belief in his/her ability to successfully complete a task or achieve a goal. This concept was proposed by psychologist Albert Bandura and is a core component of social cognitive theory.
Bandura believes that self-efficacy is concrete, situationally relevant, multidimensional and dynamic. It is not fixed, but abilities that can be improved through practice and exercise. The main sources of self-efficacy include:
- Master experience: The positive feedback obtained by successfully completing a task is the most powerful factor in improving self-efficacy.
- Imitation Experience: By observing others to complete similar tasks and learn how to deal with challenges.
- Document: Encouragement, support and trust from others helps to enhance self-confidence.
- Phyalmic Reactions: Emotional states and physical reactions (such as anxiety or excitement) can affect an individual’s sense of self-efficacy. The key lies in how to interpret these feelings.
Why is self-efficacy so important?
Self-efficacy not only affects a person’s behavioral choices, behavioral performance and final results, but also profoundly affects an individual’s cognition, motivation and emotions. It is particularly critical to:
- Cognitive impact: People with higher self-efficacy tend to see challenges as opportunities for learning and growth rather than threats. They have a more realistic assessment of the difficulty of the task and are able to actively seek solutions.
- Motivation-driven: Individuals with high self-efficacy are more willing to set higher goals and devote themselves to them. They can persist in facing difficulties and are willing to try different ways to achieve their goals.
- Emotional Management: People with higher self-efficacy tend to be more positive and optimistic, and feel less anxious and helpless when facing setbacks. People with low self-efficacy may be prone to self-doubt and negative emotions.
How to measure self-efficacy?
Since self-efficacy is situationally related, measurement methods are usually divided into two categories:
- Question method: Through self-evaluation scale, such as the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) , individuals can score their abilities and confidence.
- Behavioral Observation Method: By analyzing the actual performance of an individual in a specific task, such as selection difficulty, duration and success rate.
If you want to know your level of self-efficacy, you can use the General Self-efficacy Scale (GSES) available on PsycTest for free online testing . The test contains 10 simple questions to get your self-efficacy score and explanation in just a few minutes.
How to improve self-efficacy?
- Set specific and achievable goals: Set clear goals and split them into small steps, each step that improves confidence. The successful accumulation of short-term goals can help build a sense of self-efficacy in the long term.
- Actively seek positive feedback: recognition and encouragement from others can help you strengthen your confidence. Seek constructive feedback from family, friends, colleagues, etc., while learning to accept criticism and use it as a driving force for improvement.
- Find role models and learn from successful experiences: Observing and learning successful people who are similar to you can enhance your sense of self-efficacy. When you see that they can overcome difficulties, you will also believe that you can do it.
- Regulate emotions and cultivate a positive mentality: psychological state directly affects self-efficacy. Relieve stress through meditation, exercise, listening to music, etc., while learning to explain failures in a positive way, such as: “This time I didn’t succeed, but I learned a new approach.”
- Accumulate experience through practice: Continuously try new challenges and summarize experience from them. Every success will further enhance your confidence.
Conclusion
Self-efficacy is a ability that can be cultivated. As long as you are willing to take action and use effective methods, you can improve your sense of self-efficacy, enhance your confidence, and achieve your goals. Want to know more about your mental state? Welcome to visit PsycTest official website (psychtest.cn) to conduct more professional psychological tests.
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