Self-efficacy is one of the most important psychological concepts for feeling fulfilled and, however, it is also one of the most unknown. Sacrificed on the altar of self-esteem, you may not know that if you want to achieve your goals, feel better about yourself, and develop greater confidence in your abilities, you need to develop self-efficacy.
What is self-efficacy exactly?
Self-efficacy are the beliefs about our ability to implement the behaviors necessary to achieve certain goals, according to Albert Bandura, the psychologist who coined this term in 1977. It is the confidence in our abilities to execute a plan aimed at facing a particular situation with success.
The definition of self-efficacy, therefore, reflects confidence in our ability to exert some control over our level of motivation, behavior, and the environment. However, it does not imply believing that we are “all-powerful”, but just trusting that we have the necessary skills to face the challenge in the best possible way.
To better understand the concept of self-efficacy, think about a goal you would like to achieve. Do you feel up to the task? Do you think you can achieve it? If you answered yes, you have a high sense of self-efficacy for that project. On the other hand, if you doubt, think that this challenge is too big for you or do not trust your abilities to achieve it, you will have a weak perception of self-efficacy.
Why is self-efficacy so important in life?
“People’s beliefs about their abilities have a profound effect on those abilities. Capacity is not a fixed property, there is great variability in performance. People who have a sense of self-efficacy recover better from failure and approach problems by thinking about how to manage them rather than worrying about what can go wrong,” Bandura wrote.
What does it mean?
Our abilities are not written in stone, they vary depending on many factors, including our self-confidence. For this reason, self-efficacy is not only essential when facing a goal, task or challenge, but it can even be decisive in the results we obtain. If we believe we can achieve it, we will try harder. Of course, it is not a 100% guarantee of success. But if we believe that we will not be able to achieve it, the chances of reaching a successful port are greatly diminished and it is even possible that we will not even dare to set sail.
- Increases motivation. If you have high self-efficacy you will set more ambitious goals and be more committed to achieving them. And trusting that you can achieve it increases your level of motivation and energy, which will push you to be more perseverant.
- Greater resilience. If you perceive yourself as an effective person, you will cope better with adversity simply because you trust that, no matter what happens, you will be able to get out of it. This is not naive optimism, you are probably aware that it will be difficult, but you also know that you will be able to manage it and adapt to the situation, no matter how complicated it may be.
- Less stress. Self-efficacy allows you to better manage the negative emotions that normally come with stressful situations. Confidence in your own abilities prevents emotions such as fear or confusion from settling in, so that it will be easier for you to draw up a plan to solve the problem.
- Improves performance. Believing in yourself ends up being reflected in what you do, so in the long run you will have better results. Additionally, people with high self-efficacy tend to have a more proactive attitude, so they see problems as opportunities, rather than obstacles.
- Facilitates decision making. When emotions don’t take control, but rather you stay at the helm, you can make better decisions. People with high self-efficacy tend to evaluate the context more objectively, weighing the pros and cons of taking calculated risks.
All of these benefits lead to a more positive perception of life and greater overall well-being. Self-efficacy creates a sense of accomplishment that contributes to greater life satisfaction and a feeling of accomplishment. It is the realization that you can improve and grow as a person.
The 4 sources of self-efficacy according to Bandura
Bandura pointed out that self-efficacy develops from the interaction of four factors:
1. Domain experiences
It is the strongest pillar of self-efficacy since it refers to the experiences we have when we face new challenges and the success we achieve. For example, even if you don’t consider yourself very skilled at public speaking, your self-efficacy can increase if you successfully present several projects.
First-person experiences of our performance in the past become reliable sources from which we can draw strength and motivation as they allow us to infer our capabilities in the future, which is why they are an important source of security to face other challenges. In addition, they allow you to establish a direct relationship between the effort invested and successful performance, which will reinforce confidence in your ability to perform well in future situations, not only of that type but in any other sphere. In practice, you start to think: “If I could overcome that, I can also overcome this.”
2. Indirect experiences
Have you ever seen someone achieve some important goal and felt motivated and confident that you could do it too? That is precisely the second source of self-efficacy: indirect experiences. Bandura thought that when we see other people like us succeed in some activity, we feel that we could follow in their footsteps. In some ways, it is a phenomenon similar to vicarious resilience.
The key is that we feel identified in some way with that person, whether because they are of a similar age to ours, have a similar physical constitution or come from the same social stratum. Obviously, the more discrepancy we perceive between the person and us, the less likely it is that his behavior will increase our self-efficacy.
3. Verbal persuasion
“If people are given realistic encouragement, they are likely to try harder and achieve more success than if they are paralyzed by self-doubt,” Bandura said. He was referring to the words of encouragement we can receive from others, but also to our inner dialogue.
For example, imagine that you are nervous, about to give a speech, but a person who knows you comes up and encourages you, telling you that you will do great because they know how much you have prepared for that moment. Their words can boost your sense of self-efficacy, making you more confident in your abilities and feeling less nervous.
4. Emotional physiological arousal
The last pillar of self-efficacy is physiological or emotional arousal. Bandura recognizes that there are certain states that affect our performance, such as fatigue and tiredness, but also fear or anxiety. These physical and emotional states can make you feel less competent, which will end up seeping into your mind and affecting your perception of self-efficacy in different situations.
For example, imagine that you have prepared very well to give that speech, but that day you not only feel nervous but also very exhausted due to a cold. Because of that physiological stress, you probably think you’ll do worse and your performance will actually suffer. On the other hand, if you feel happy and full of energy or if you reframe anxiety as a state of excitement, your perception of self-efficacy is more likely to increase and you will do better.
How to improve self-efficacy in practical life?
1. Get out of your comfort zone. Getting out of your comfort zone is one of the best ways to develop self-efficacy. You know why? Because when you face new challenges you have the opportunity to test your skills.
The good news is that although leaving your comfort zone can be scary at first, the further you get from that space in which you feel comfortable, the more you can increase your self-efficacy by using your achievements and failures as a source of energy. It’s out there where you have the real opportunities to strengthen your resilience.
2. Set realistic goals. Overcoming mistakes and failures will help you develop confidence in your ability to face challenges, but it is important that you are also able to achieve some of the goals you set for yourself.
To do this, you must learn to set reasonable objectives that you can approach step by step until you reach the goal. Likewise, it’s helpful to break down more ambitious goals into smaller, more manageable subgoals. This way you will be able to see that planning and effort really takes you where you want to go.
3. Focus on the big picture. One of the most important qualities of people with high perceived self-efficacy is their ability to look beyond short-term losses. This way they prevent a small defeat from making them lose confidence in themselves.
Therefore, to improve self-efficacy it is essential to develop a long-term global vision of what you want to achieve. You can’t achieve everything. It does not even matter. What is really important is that you are clear about your priorities and are able to plan the path that allows you to focus on those objectives more efficiently.
4. Rethink the obstacles. Obstacles are part of the journey, but if you view them constructively you won’t run the risk of them undermining your self-efficacy. On the other hand, if you perceive them as a wall, they are more likely to make you doubt your abilities.
Think of obstacles as if they were a test to overcome. Don’t get stuck in frustration and start wondering what the most effective solution is. That change in perspective, from worry to proactivity, will give you back a feeling of control so you can find the best path.
5. Review your inner dialogue. The way you talk to yourself will also influence your sense of self-efficacy. You can’t trust your abilities if you continually tell yourself that you’re worthless or not worth trying. Therefore, monitor your inner dialogue and try to make it more constructive and developing.
It will help you remember the challenging obstacles you have overcome in the past. Activating the memory of successful experiences will allow you to increase your self-efficacy in the present. In a way, you will become your own coach and motivator.
In short, self-efficacy is what will allow you to take a more proactive attitude in life, instead of just reacting to what happens. It will give you the strength you need in the darkest moments and fill you with that healthy and solid confidence that generates well-being. Therefore, it is a worthwhile investment.
References:
Wilde, N. & Hsu, A. (2019) The influence of general self-efficacy on the interpretation of vicarious experience information within online learning. Int J Educ Technol High Educ; 16: 26.
Salanova, M. et. Al. (2012) The Dark and Bright Sides of Self-Efficacy in Predicting Learning, Innovative and Risky Performances. The Spanish Journal of Psychology; 15(3): 1123-1132.
Bandura, A. (1997) Self-Efficacy: The exercise of control. Nueva York: W. H. Freeman.
Bandura, A. (1977) Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review; 84(2): 191-215.
