The self-efficacy theory is a theory that describes the belief of someone being capable of performing a given task as it is required and expected. Therefore, this is an approach that mainly deals with the kind of motivation behind a particular behavior or how an individual acts. Self-efficacy theory determines the efficiency of a person based on the self-belief or faith that performance of a given task is to the best provided the inner confidence behind that particular action. A healthy kind of self-efficacy means that an individual has a high self-confidence on the performance of activity while a weak self-efficacy implies that a wrong perspective towards a given situation or task will render a person is poor in the level of motivation or confidence before the performance of the job. Thus, this means tha
...t the individual may underperform or when there is an option of not doing the work, most like he may end up no doing the job at all due to a weak self-efficacy.
One of the significant differences between some with a strong perceived self-efficacy from an individual with a poor kind of self-efficacy is the manner in which they approach a difficult situation. People with strong self-efficacy means that they approach the hard jobs as challenges that need to be mastered rather than as threats that need to be avoided. These are the kinds of individuals who after the even after a failure of a given task they strengthen their faith and improve their actions to ensure that the goal is ultimately achieved. On the other hand, people who have inferior kinds of approach towards an individual situation are the kind
that see the difficult task as a threat and hence a distress in their life. These are the kinds of the persons who even before the performance of a given task, they foresee failure at the end of the job. These are the kinds of individuals who have little faith in achieving success; they never see the light at the end of the tunnel. Hence, this paper describes the self-efficacy theory and its applications in real life experiences (Bandura 1977).
However according to Bandura, he describes there are several sources of achieving a self-efficacy kind of approach in the tasks available. One of the sources a self-efficacy is on the performance outcomes and the experience involved in the past (Bandura 1977). According to Bandura, he continues to explain that depending on person kind of experience either positive or negative play an immense role in determining the and individuals performance in a given task. If someone did perform excellently in a given task granted to him or her early in life, there are high chances that the person might have a strong confidence when the same kind of job is offered the second time. Contrary to that, a person with a bad experience towards the kind of performance involved will most likely have a negative approach towards the challenges that are included in that kind of job. Bandura explains that “mastery experiences are the most influential sources of efficacy information because the produce the most authentic evidence on whether a person can master what it takes to succeed. “ (Bandura 1977).
Secondly, another source of self-efficacy is one that is achieved through the creation of a similarity of
some else experience to the current situation. Another person may watch some else performing a task or handling challenges that are quite familiar to theirs, and they are most likely will judge their abilities depending on some else’s success or failure( Schunk & Pajares 2009). Hence, this kind of source is one that most of the children and teenagers relate to when they see their parent suffering from certain challenges in their life. Thirdly it is possible that trough verbal conviction, it is determined whether an individual gets a strong self-efficacy or inferior kind of self-efficacy. In a classroom where a tutor motivates his students through words like, “I firmly believe in you students” or “I believe u can make it” are motivation statements that are meant to make the student have positive kinds of approach to the challenge ahead. Additionally, another source is the physiological feedback that means the types of emotions and feeling that faces people before the performance of a challenge or task.
For example, when people are supposed to perform a carry group presentation in front of the class or front of a given audience, people are always faced with the emotional influences that determine their efficacy levels. Before the performance these presentations, people suffer a lot of anxiety, agitation and a thrilled up heart beats. These kinds of feelings influence the self-efficacy level in individuals, and how one will handle the high emotions in that, those that will be at ease in that situation will have better performances than those that would not be able to control their emotions. However, it is quite common that in the achievement of the self-efficacy,
the cognitive process of an individual is used. However, it is quite common that in the achievement of the self-efficacy, the cognitive process of an individual is used (Maddux 1995).
In one of the stories commonly told by my father about how one of the major interview of how that was about to be determinant to enormous success in his career. It was during a period when in the company he was working for as a senior manager of the business required to hire a director of the enterprise. Thus, this was one of the best chances in which my father had to grab and take up the risk as this would mean a turnaround in his career. During the process, the company had first to carry out an inside assessment and evaluation of the staff that was most favorable for the task. Lucky enough, my father was the only one chosen from the firm as an excellent candidate for the job due to his outstanding academic papers and the kind of experience he has as a member of the staff of the company.
Lucky enough, my father was the only one chosen from the firm as an excellent candidate for the job due to his outstanding academic papers and the kind of experience he has as a member of the staff of the company. Therefore, this was such an opportunity that needed my father to prove his might like the best candidate for the task as the company director. Nevertheless, the excellent papers and the work experience were not absolute qualifications for the directorship of the firm; my father was required to carry out a good
and detailed presentation to a panel of expertise that mostly included family members as the business was family owned.
Therefore, this was quite a changing thing to my father who as always explained to me that most of the family members preferred a candidate from outside, but only a few of the board member emphasized on first carrying out an inward assessment. Hence, it required him to prepare a convincing presentation that contains that business mission and visions and most of the presentation were all geared and directed towards making the firm world class business. However as my father explained to me that even though he was used to a lot of presentation in his career, this one was entirely different as in this one he was to be evaluated and the others no kind of evaluation was being performed n=but rather he was addressing his fellow staff. However, I vividly remember him stating that as he was preparing his presentation that was to happen in two weeks’ time, there were a lot of forces from both inside and outside that e=were convincing him to quit the evaluation process.
But due to the achievement goals he had, is what motivated him to push hard. During the day of presentation according to him, he had mixed reactions to emotions that he struggled with and that it took the intervention of one of his colleagues who whispered words of encouragement to him, and that was the moment that he became at ease and regained back his courage. During the day of presentation according to him, he had mixed reactions to emotions that he struggled with and that it took
the intervention of one of his colleagues who whispered words of encouragement to him, and that was the moment that he became at ease and regained back his courage. Hence according to my father, he explained that he did an exemplary presentation that fascinated each and every panel of the member and after the presentation he was satisfied with the kind of job how that performed. Hence, that how in a week’s time that he got his promotion as the company director.
Hence from the above narrative it evident that my father had a strong self-efficacy that enabled him to carry out the presentation in an exemplary manner that convinces each and every member of the panel. One of the factors that motivated my father to perform well in this task is that in his life, his objective is that one day he would be a company director. Therefore despite the challenge ahead of him, he had to face it courageously and ensure that he would be successful at the end. Additionally due to the experience he had in presenting in front of others, he had some nerve in performing in front the panel due to his excellent communication skills; he was able to convince the panel on the right plans that he had for the firm. Additionally due to the experience he had in presenting in front of others, he had some nerve in performing in front the panel due to his excellent communication skills; he was able to convince the panel on the right plans that he had for the firm.
Hence, my father past experiences of public speaking enabled him to do his best
to his in the interview. Another fact to add that explains the theory is another source of self-efficacy is that he got the verbal motivation from one of his colleagues that he had everything that was supposed to be to gain the directorship of the company, and this just worked magic on him as at that particular moment he regained his courage. Therefore from there on, he approached the challenge with a different perspective that made him able to perform great in his interview. Hence was not of the strong self-efficacy of my father, it could be quite difficult for the panel to choose him as the next company director as they would have doubted his capabilities.
Conclusively, the self-efficacy is quite a famous theory that each everyone needs to apply to use in his day to day life. The theory serves to be very educative in the day to day life where people meet with challenging situations in their everyday lives while undertaking their responsibilities. Hence, a lot of individuals who succeed and also for those face failure in their lives come can relate their experience to this theory. However, it is important to all persons who want to achieve success in their life to apply this theory in life.
References
- Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological review, 84(2), 191.
- Maddux, J. E. (1995). Self-efficacy theory (pp. 3-33). Springer US.
- O'Brien, K. M., Heppner, M. J., Flores, L. Y., & Bikos, L. H. (1997). The Career Counseling Self-Efficiency Scale: Instrument development and training applications. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 44(1), 20.
- Schunk, D. H., & Pajares, F. (2009). Self-efficacy theory. Handbook
of motivation at school, 35-53.
