Self-efficacy is the belief in one's capabilities to organize and execute the sources of action required to manage prospective situations.

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

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

Forceful actions arising from erroneous beliefs often create social effects that confirm the misbeliefs

Indeed there are many competent people who are plagued by a sense of inefficacy, and many less competent ones who remain unperturbed by impending threats because they are self-assured of their coping capabilities

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

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