Dualistic doctrines that regard mind and body as separate entities do not provide much enlightenment on the nature of the disembodied mental state or on how an immaterial mind and bodily events act on each other

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

In the self-appraisal of efficacy, there are many sources of information that must be processed and weighed through self-referent thought

Perceived self-efficacy influences the types of causal attributions people make for their performances

Agemates provide the most informative points of reference for comparative efficacy appraisal and verification. Children are, therefore, especially sensitive to their relative standing among the peers with whom they affiliate in activities that determine prestige and popularity

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

People who underestimate their capabilities also bear costs, although, as already noted, these are more likely to take self-limiting rather than aversive forms. By failing to cultivate personal potentialities and constricting their activities, such persons cut themselves off from many rewarding experiences. Should they attempt tasks having evaluative significance, they create internal obstacles to effective performance by approaching them with unnerving self-doubts