Self-belief does not necessarily ensure success, but self-disbelief assuredly spawns failure.

If there is any characteristic that is distinctly human, it is the capability for reflective self-consciousness.

A theory that denies that thoughts can regulate actions does not lend itself readily to the explanation of complex human behavior.

The evaluative habits developed in sibling interactions undoubtedly affect the salience and choice of comparative referents in self-ability evaluations in later life

For many activities, people cannot rely solely on themselves in evaluating their ability level because such judgments require inferences from probabilistic indicants of talent about which they may have limited knowledge. Self-appraisals are, therefore, partly based on the opinions of others who presumably possess evaluative competence

[Children] receive direct instruction from time to time about the appropriateness of various social comparisons

Perceived self-efficacy also shapes causal thinking. In seeking solutions to difficult problems, those who perceived themselves as highly efficacious are inclined to attribute their failures to insufficient effort, whereas those of comparable skills but lower perceived self-efficacy ascribe their failures to deficient ability