Bandura's Concept of Self-efficacy
Social Cognitive Theorist, Albert Bandura believes self-efficacy refers to a sense of control over one’s behavior and environment. Accordingly, he believes that self-efficacy beliefs are cognitions that decide whether one will initiate behavior changes and how much one will persevere, in spite of the failures or obstacles one encounters. Bandura believes self-efficacy helps one determine which challenges to address and how high to set one’s goals (Schwarzer, n.d.). In addition, social cognitive theorists believe self-efficacy is developed through evaluation of one’s previous outcomes, the input of others, evaluations of others’ successes and failures, as well as the successes and failures of collaborative efforts (Ormrod, 2008).
The Theory of Planned Behavior, originated by Icek Ajzen in 1988, proposes that intention is the primary predictor of future behavior. Ajzen believes that attitudes, subjective norms, and perception about being able to perform a specific task (behavior control) affect specific intentions. Self-efficacy, though more related to one’s competence and future behavior, is nearly synonymous with Ajzen’s behavioral control (Schwarzer, n.d.)
Ralf Schwarzer’s Health Action Process Approach theorizes that there is a difference between pre-intentional motivation processes that lead to the actual intention and post-intentional volition processes that lead to the health behavior itself. Schwarzer believes that self-efficacy directly affects the planning processes, initiative actions, behavior change maintenance, and relapse management (Schwarzer, n.d.).
The Attribution Theory suggests that people often like to identify probable reasons for the things they experience, especially unexpected experiences. Theorists J. Weisz and A. Cameron propose one’s attribution to factors one can control involves a belief that one can affect and change one’s environment and circumstances. In order to believe one has this control, one must believe that one’s behavior can cause a certain event. In addition, one must have self-efficacy and believe that one is actually able to perform the necessary behavior that makes the change (Ormrod, 2008).