Self-efficacy is the knowledge that individuals have about their abilities and confidence to reach a goal or face a situation.
On self-efficacy there are several researches carried out by leading psychologists, including Albert Bandura who developed the Theory of social learning.
This theory refers to the motivation and action of people after three types of expectations that are: expectations of situation-result, expectations of action-result and self-efficacy.
For Bandura, the expectation of self-efficacy is of the utmost importance because it develops through learning by observation and by social experience, which together forms part of the construction of the individual’s personality.
Development of self-efficacy
Self-efficacy is important for each individual to formulate their recognition based on their abilities, skills and attitudes to achieve success or face a challenge.
Thus, Bandura emphasizes that self – efficacy is what determines the way of thinking and acting of every person who knows what their abilities and limitations to succeed or prevent a failure.
However, self-efficacy is formed throughout the life of a person because it is directly related to their experiences and the skills that they acquire throughout the years after the successes or failures reached. Therefore, it ranges from childhood to adulthood.
High or weak self-efficacy
Self-efficacy plays an important role in the formation of personality and in their motivation of people to achieve various objectives.
A person with high self-efficacy is able to face various challenges because he knows he has the knowledge and skills necessary to reach his goal. That is, it takes on the challenge and strives and does its best in order to achieve a goal.
On the contrary, who has a weak self-efficacy usually avoids new and unknown challenges, does not trust their abilities and skills and considers that failures are part of their life.
In this sense, many specialists handle the concept that self-efficacy is what determines individual competences, moods, stress management and concentration in particular situations.
Hence, Bandura highlights the importance of self-efficacy as a fundamental part of the emotional and physical reactions that individuals have.
