Statistical Report on the Effects of Self-Efficacy on Depression

Albert Bandura is one of the pioneers in the study of human development. His biographical background lays a good foundation for the basis of his work as a psychologist. His social cognitive theory will be examined in detail to highlight the effect that environment has on behavior. There are four basic features to the theory introduced by Bandura that will be discussed; (1) observational learning, (2) self-regulation, (3) self-efficacy, and (4) reciprocal determinism. All four features combined will prove to offer a keen insight into the environmental aspect of our behavior.

Bandura has studied self-efficacy, which is the extent or strength of one’s belief in one’s own ability to complete tasks and reach goals. Self-efficacy can affect all types of behaviors like academics, social and recreational. A child might have the ability to accomplish a task, but if they do not feel like they are capable of doing so, then they may fail or may not attempt the task. For example, in a study difficult math problems were given to children with

Albert Bandura introduced the Self-Efficacy Theory in the late 1970s. Self-Efficacy is the belief in one’s ability to perform actions to complete a task or goal attainment. It has been applied to many areas such as smoking cessation, eating, and pain control. It can also be applied to childhood asthma to share insight on the child’s belief. Believing in oneself and the ability to manage their own care is a very important aspect of self-care.

Self-efficacy can be described as the level self-confidence that a person has when they try to do something. It is important in making a behavioral change because people need to envision themselves succeeding.

Bandura focused on perceived self-efficacy, which he defines as a belief in one’s own capability to organize and execute the course of action required to attain a goal. (Bandura, 1977).

In this chapter, Rivera outlines and describes three existing theories: Bandura’s Theory of Self-Efficacy, Vygotsky’s Constructivist Theory, and Social Interdependence Theory. She also refers to multiple sources and explains their opinions about these theories. She goes one step further to clarify how these theories directly correlate with her research topic.

Three of which include, his or her cognition towards situations, his or her emotional status, and the decision-making process of that individual. Self-efficacy affects an individual’s cognition towards a situation due to the fact that a person’s view can greatly influence the outcome of that situation. Therefore, thinking in an optimistic manner can be beneficial, whereas thinking in a negative manner towards a circumstance can be detrimental. Self-efficacy can affect the emotional status of an individual, in that a resilient sense of self-efficacy enables an individual to recognize that it is normal for him or her to feel discouraged in certain situations, and this transpires in a determination to persevere and turn the outcomes of his or her circumstances into success. The manner in which self-efficacy affects an individual’s decision-making process is that it facilitates the individual to recognize that there is always a choice for choosing the way he or she will experience a certain situation or circumstance. In summation, the concept of self-efficacy pioneered by Albert Bandura elucidates that through an individual mastery of his or her thoughts emotions and decisions with the guidance of past circumstances he or she will be able to recognize the ability to shape the outcomes of his or her situations and circumstances. Therefore, the concept of self-efficacy has proven to be a paramount dynamic in the positive field of psychology regarding the prerequisite for behavior

Virtually all people can identify goals they want to accomplish, things they would like to change, and things they would like to achieve. However, most people also realize that putting these plans into action is not quite so simple. Bandura and others have found that an individual’s self-efficacy plays a major role in how goals, tasks, and challenges are approached.

Self-efficacy theory originates from Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory constructs and the theory of self-regulation (Nursing Theories, 2012). Self-efficacy refers to an individual’s own judgment with regards to the confidence in his or her own abilities. In other words, at the core of self-efficacy is the belief that one has the power to produce an effect by accomplishing a given task or activity (Qiao, Shan, Chen, & Xu,

Albert Bandura , defined self-efficacy as a person’s belief in their ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish a task. This can determine how a person approach their goals, tasks, and challenges.

The concept of interest is self-efficacy. This began in 1977 with Bandura’s social learning theory that was renamed social cognitive theory in 1986, of which self-efficacy was one of the major concepts of his theory. Self-efficacy makes a difference in how people will feel, think, behave, and motivate themselves. A low sense of self-efficacy can be associated with stress, anxiety, depression, and feelings of helplessness. Such individuals also have low self-esteem and become pessimistic about their accomplishments and personal development. In thinking terms, a strong sense of efficacy facilitates cognitive processes and performance in a variety of settings, including the quality of decision-making and academic achievement. When it comes to behavior, self-efficacy can be said to influence people’s choice of activities as self-efficacy levels can foster or decrease a person’s motivation. People with high self-efficacy approach difficult tasks as challenges and do not try to avoid them. People’s self-efficacy beliefs determine their level of motivation, as reflected in how much effort they will

Self-efficacy beliefs are considered as the foundation of human agency. They influence many aspects of human functioning (i.e., the exercise of human agency), such as one’s choice of tasks, goal setting, motivation level, investment level, psycho-affective states, and accomplishments. They influence “people’s goals and aspirations, how well they motivate themselves, and their perseverance in the face of difficulties and adversity” (Bandura, 2006). Also, self-efficacy beliefs “shape people’s outcome expectations” and determine how opportunities and impediments are viewed” (Bandura, 2006, p.171). Self-efficacy beliefs are not a stable character traits of an individual, but rather, an active and learned system of beliefs held in context (Bandura,1997).

that they used to bring about the positive outcome. This not only helps children build positive self-

This research is reinforced by Albert Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1977; as cited in Redmond, 2010) which states that self-efficacy or a person’s belief in one’s ability to succeed in a particular situation plays an essential role in how goals, tasks, and challenges are approached. It continues to evolve as people acquire new skills, experiences, and understanding. It can have an impact on everything from psychological states to behavior to motivation. Bandura believed that the key to successful therapy is self-efficacy. Bandura's theory proposed that learning can also occur by simply observing the actions of others (Ross, 2007). It was stated that people can learn new information and behaviors by watching other people which is known as observational learning. Underneath the social cognitive theory is the social learning theory. There are three core concepts at the heart of social learning theory. In this study, the researchers will only use the two concepts which

Albert Bandura is the originator of the theoretical construct of self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is focus on an individual belief about what is capable of doing under different situation with the skills itself have. Bandura distinguishes between efficacy and outcomes. Self-efficacy is individual’s beliefs about ability to produce certain actions and it is not same as beliefs about actions affecting outcomes, locus of control. Self-efficacy influences person persistence in the face of challenges. Self-efficacy is not only important for the student learner to achieve success, but the self-efficacy of the professional teaching the student, as well as the collective efficacy of the professional community to which that student belongs is imperative for student success (Kennedy & Smith, 2012). The concept of self-efficacy has been applied in the field of education. The effective teaching of teachers generally related to the concept of self-efficacy introduced by Albert Bandura. Efficacy, applied to teachers, has been the focus of a concentrated body of