Is a strong Sense of Self-efficacy always Beneficial?

• Author: Verhaeren, T.
• Position: Gent University, Belgium
• Pages: 193-200

Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braúov • Vol. 5 (54) No. 1 - 2012

Series VII: Social Sciences • Law

IS A STRONG SENSE OF SELF-EFFICACY

ALWAYS BENEFICIAL?

Thomas VERHAEREN1

Abstract: The concept of self-efficacy, introduced by Albert Bandura, has

received a lot of attention in psychological research. This come s as no

surprise, as it e ncompasses a person's beliefs about his or her capabilities to

successfully do what is necessary for desired goals, which is a central

mechanism in human agency. The concept has been linked to m any outcomes

(e.g. motivation and performance), almost exclusively yi elding positive

results. Recently, however, arguments have risen that a strong sense of self-

efficacy may not always be as beneficial as presumed until now. In t his

article, I revie w the core of the positive literature on self-efficacy and

highlight studies that question and oppose the dominance of these positive

self-efficacy associations. Implications for future research, emphasizing the

need of a different research approach, are mentioned.

Key words: self-efficacy, motivation, performance.

1 Gent University, Belgium.

1. Introduction

Human behaviour is not organized at

random way. It is structured and directed

by goals. We set goals that are important to

us and choose actions and paths in order to

achieve them. Some of these goals and

their actions, for example the goal of

nutrition, are chosen and achieved without

being fully aware of them. But as we all

know, our behaviour and the choice of

goals and actions do not always happen

automatically. Rather, it often involves

conscious processes. Sometimes, we

deliberately t hink about our lives and

decide to strive after a new goal, re-

evaluate the importance of a goal or even

abandon one after weighing pros and cons.

Cognitions therefore play an important role

in o ur goal-setting and behaviour in

general. Aff ect plays an important role

here as well, since we may be afraid to

engage in a particular action, or be

emotionally preoccupied with other events

demanding our attention. Another

important factor in determining our

behaviour is motivation. A goal may be

very valuable to someone, but if this

person is not motivated to invest effort, the

goal may never be achieved.

Human beings can exert some degree of

control over all these behavioural

processes. This process of influencing

one’s own motivation, thought processes,

emotional states and behavioural paths is

called self-regulation [7], [8]. Within self-

regulation, a key role is played by

perceived self-efficacy. This concept has

been defined by Albert Bandura as one’s

judgments of how well one can execute the

courses of action required to deal with

prospective situations [3].