Learning would be exceedingly laborious, not to mention hazardous, if people had to rely solely on the effects of their own actions to inform them what to do. Fortunately, most human behavior is learned observationally through modeling: from observing others one forms an idea of how new behaviors are performed, and on later occasions this coded information serves as a guide for action.

The performances of others are often selected as standards for self-improvement of abilities

If self-efficacy is lacking, people tend to behave ineffectually, even though they know what to do.

Perceived self-efficacy and beliefs about the locus of outcome causality must be distinguished

Ironically, it is the talented who have high aspirations, which are possible but exceedingly difficult to realize, who are especially vulnerable to self-dissatisfaction despite notable achievements.

Self-percepts foster actions that generate information, as well as serve as a filtering mechanism for self-referent information in the self-maintaining process

Except for events that carry great weight, it is not experience per se, but how they match expectations, that governs their emotional impact