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

Self-appraisals are influenced by evaluative reactions of others.

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

Reasonably accurate appraisal of one's own capabilities is, therefore, of considerable value in successful functioning. Large misjudgments of personal efficacy in either direction have consequences. People who grossly overestimate their capabilities undertake activities that are clearly beyond their reach. As a result, they get themselves into considerable difficulties, undermine their credibility, and suffer needless failures. Some of the missteps, of course, can produce serious, irreparable harm

Stringent standards of self-evaluation [can] make otherwise objective successes seem to be personal failures

People infer high self-efficacy from successes achieved through minimal effort on difficult tasks, but they infer low self-efficacy if they had to work hard under favorable conditions to master relatively easy tasks

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