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

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

Because of such conjointedness, behavior that exerts no effect whatsoever on outcomes is developed and consistently performed

People who are insecure about themselves will avoid social comparisons that are potentially threatening to their self-esteem

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

The content of most textbooks is perishable, but the tools of self-directedness serve one well over time.

When people are not aiming for anything in particular or when they cannot monitor their performance, there is little basis for translating perceived efficacy into appropriate magnitudes of effort