The adequacy of performance attainments depends upon the personal standards against which they are judged

Accurate processing of information about outcomes is no simple task under the variable conditions of everyday life . . . usually, many factors enter into determining what effects, if any, given actions will have, Actions, therefore, produce outcomes probabilistically rather than certainly. Depending on the particular conjunction of factors, the same course of action may produce given outcomes regularly, occasionally, or only infrequently

In social cognitive theory, perceived self-efficacy results from diverse sources of information conveyed vicariously and through social evaluation, as well as through direct experience

Most of the images of reality on which we base our actions are really based on vicarious experience.

Regression analyses show that self-efficacy contributes to achievement behavior beyond the effects of cognitive skills

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

Given a sufficient level of perceived self-efficacy to take on threatening tasks, phobics perform them with varying amounts of fear arousal depending on the strength of their perceived self-efficacy