The concept of self-efficacy, its types and measures

Definition of self-efficacy

Self-efficacy is the belief in our own abilities, specifically our ability to meet challenges ahead and complete a task successfully. General self-efficacy refers to our general belief in our ability to succeed. However, there are many specific forms of self-efficacy. Although self-efficacy is related to our sense of self-worth or value As human, however, there is at least one important distinction.

Types of self-efficacy 

Below we learn about the four main types of self-efficacy through which beliefs of self-efficacy influence human performance:

• Cognitive processes

The effects of self-efficacy beliefs on cognitive processes take a variety of forms. Much of human behavior, being purposeful, is regulated by the embodiment of valued goals. Personal goal setting is influenced by self-assessment of abilities. The stronger the perceived self-efficacy, the greater the goal people set for themselves. Their commitment to them is stronger, and one of the main functions of intellect is to enable people to predict events and develop ways to control those that affect their lives, and these skills require effective cognitive processing of information that contains many ambiguities and uncertainties, in learning predictive and regulatory rules, and people must make use of From their knowledge of options construction, weighing and incorporating predictive factors.

• catalytic processes

Beliefs of self-efficacy play a major role in self-regulation of motivation. Most human motivations are generated cognitively. People motivate themselves and direct their actions proactively through the practice of reflection. They form beliefs about what they can do. They anticipate possible outcomes of prospective actions. They set goals for themselves and plan paths. Work designed to achieve a valuable future, there are three different forms of cognitive stimuli around which different theories are built, and they include causal referrals, outcome expectations, and conventional goals. These types of cognitive motivation, self-efficacy beliefs influence causal attribution. 

• emotional processes

People's beliefs in their ability to cope influence the amount of stress and depression they experience in dangerous or difficult situations, as well as their level of motivation. Perceived self-efficacy in exercising stress management plays a major role in triggering anxiety. Troublesome thinking, but those who think they can't manage threats suffer from extreme anxiety-provoking. 

• selection processes

Personal competence beliefs can shape the course of life by influencing the types of activities and environments that people choose. People avoid activities and situations that they believe are beyond their adaptive capabilities, but they undertake challenging activities with ease and choose situations that they feel they can handle, through choices that they make. As they make it, people develop different competencies, interests, and social networks that define life cycles. Any factor that influences choice behavior can profoundly influence the direction of personal development. Choice and career development are just one example of the power of self-efficacy beliefs to influence the course of life pathways through processes. related to choice, the higher the level of people's perceived self-efficacy, the wider the range of career choices they seriously consider, the more interested they are in them, the better educationally they prepare themselves for the professional tasks they choose and the more successful they are, and careers make up a good part ofpeople's lives and provides them with a major source of personal growth.

measures of self-efficacy 

There are many scales and questionnaires that you can use to measure general self-efficacy, three of the most popular are described below:

• Generalized/Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE)

The General Self-Efficacy Scale is perhaps the most popular measure of self-efficacy. It has been in use since 1995. It was developed by researchers Schwarzer and Jerusalem, two leading experts in self-efficacy. The scale consists of 10 items rated on a scale of 1 (not true to launch) to 4 (exactly correct), those items are as follows:

• I can always solve tough problems if I try hard enough.
• If someone opposes me, I can find the means and ways to get what I want.
• Easy to stick to and achieve my goals.
• I am confident that I can deal efficiently with unexpected events.
• I can solve most problems if I put in the effort.
• I can stay calm when facing difficulties because I can rely on my coping abilities.
• When I encounter a problem, I usually find several solutions.
• If I'm in trouble, I can usually think of a solution.
• I can usually handle whatever comes my way.

The score is calculated by adding up the response to each item, the total will be between 10 and 40, with higher scores indicating greater self-efficacy.

• New General Scale of Self-Efficacy (NGSE)

Another useful measure of self-efficacy was developed by Chen, Gully, and Eden in 2001. This scale also provides a measure of self-efficacy and improves on the original 17-item Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale developed by Scherer and colleagues in 1982. This scale is 5-point (1 = strongly disagree, 3 = neither agree nor disagree, 5 = strongly agree), respondents show how much they agree with eight statements, such as (Even when things are tough, I can perform well) Researchers then calculate the score for each respondent by taking an average Ratings.

• Self-efficacy questionnaire

Developed in 2015 by the Research Collaboration, this questionnaire consists of 13 items rated on a scale from 1 (Not very like me) to 5 (Very like me). It was created with students and educators in mind, so it focuses on learning self-efficacy, It measures self-efficacy as a two-component combination, consisting of:

• Believing that ability can grow with effort.
• Belief in this ability to achieve specific goals and/or expectations.

The 13 elements are:

• I can learn what is being taught in class this year.
• I can figure out anything if I try hard enough.
• If you practice a certain skill every day, almost any skill can be developed.
• As soon as I decide to accomplish something important to me, I constantly try to achieve it, even if it is more difficult than I thought.
• I am confident that I will achieve the goals that I set for myself.
• When I struggle to accomplish something difficult, I focus on my progress rather than getting discouraged.
• I will succeed in whatever career path I choose.
• I will succeed in any undergraduate major I choose.
• I think hard work pays off.
• My ability grows with effort.
• I think the brain can be developed like a muscle.
• I believe that no matter who you are, you can dramatically change your talent level.
• I can change my basic level of ability to a great extent.

The score is obtained on a scale of 0-100 for ease of interpretation, as higher scores indicate greater self-efficacy. Scores for this scale have proven to be reliable for middle and high school students, indicating that it is a good choice for measuring self-efficacy.