I Think I Can, or I Am Good At This: Self-Efficacy and Self-Concept

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I Think I Can, or I Am Good At This: Self-Efficacy and Self-Concept

Educational Psychology · Chapter 6: Motivation, Goals, and the Drive to LearnSection 6.8 · lesson 55 of 1009 min · free with a free account

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In this lesson

Four constructs that get confused, and what each one actually predicts.

  • Define self-efficacy and explain its task specificity
  • Rank Bandura's four sources of efficacy information
  • Explain Marsh's internal and external frames of reference
  • Decouple performance from worth to reduce self-handicapping

Transcript

Everything said in the video, section by section (1,065 words). Read along, or search it.

Motivation, Goals, and the Drive to Learn

I Think I Can, or I Am Good At This: Self-Efficacy and Self-Concept

A student tells you they are terrible at school. Ask which subject, and the answer usually gets more specific quickly. That specificity is the subject of this section. We will define self-efficacy, which is narrower than confidence. Then Bandura's four sources of it, in order of strength. Then academic self-concept, which is broader and works differently. We will look at Marsh's frame of reference model, which produces a paradox. Then Covington's self-worth theory. And why some students perform below their potential on purpose. The four constructs here are easy to confuse, and predict different things.

Definition

A Belief About a Specific Task

Self-efficacy was defined by Albert Bandura. It is an individual's belief in their capacity to execute behaviors. The behaviors necessary to produce specific outcomes. In a particular context. Every part of that definition is doing work. This is a task-specific and context-specific belief. It is not a global sense of confidence, and it is not self-esteem. A student may have high self-efficacy for algebra. And low self-efficacy for essay writing, at the same time. A teacher may feel efficacious about classroom management. And genuinely uncertain about leading parent conferences. Those coexist without contradiction.

Why Specificity Helps

A More Precise Predictor

That specificity is what makes the construct useful. Self-efficacy is a more precise predictor of behavior than global self-concept measures are. It predicts three things in particular. What individuals will attempt at all. How much effort they will invest. And how long they will persist in the face of obstacles. There is a practical consequence hiding in that specificity. You cannot raise a student's efficacy in general. You raise it for something. And the gains transfer only as far as the similarity between tasks does. Which is why success in one subject does not fix another.

Four Sources

Where Efficacy Beliefs Come From

Bandura identified four sources of self-efficacy information. And he listed them in decreasing order of potency. First, mastery experiences. The most powerful source by a distance. Successfully completing a challenging task provides direct evidence. Second, vicarious experiences. Observing a similar peer succeed. If they can do it, so can I. The word similar matters there. Third, verbal persuasion. Encouragement and credible positive feedback from teachers and parents. Fourth, physiological and emotional states. How you interpret arousal signals before a performance. Note that verbal persuasion is only third on that list. Which is worth remembering when encouragement is the only tool being used.

Key Idea

Self-Efficacy Is Not Self-Esteem

Here is the key distinction of this section. Self-efficacy is not self-esteem. A student can have low self-esteem and high academic self-efficacy in a specific domain. And it is the efficacy belief that predicts persistence and achievement. Not the global self-esteem. That distinction has cost schools a great deal of effort. Interventions aimed at global self-esteem often fail to move outcomes. They are aimed at the wrong construct. The narrower belief is the one that does the work. And, conveniently, it is the one a teacher can supply evidence for. You cannot argue someone into self-esteem. You can help them succeed at a task.

In Practice

Guaranteed Success, on Purpose

Here is efficacy built deliberately, in a physical education class. The teacher notices several students avoiding team sports. The cause is low self-efficacy, not lack of interest. She does not force participation, which would fail. Instead she creates a series of graduated skill challenges. At the first level, success is guaranteed for beginners. Students experience mastery at each level before advancing. That is source number one, used systematically. She also pairs lower-efficacy students with more skilled peers. Slightly more skilled, and similarly aged, which is the important detail. That is source number two, vicarious experience. Over the semester, voluntary participation increases substantially.

Academic Self-Concept

A Broader, Domain-Specific Construct

Academic self-concept is a broader construct. It is a student's general self-description and evaluation. An evaluation of their academic abilities. More descriptive, and less task-specific, than self-efficacy. Research by Herbert Marsh established a key property. Academic self-concept is domain-specific. Students develop separate self-concept profiles. For mathematics, for verbal ability, for science, and for other domains. And those profiles are largely independent of one another. So there is no single academic self to raise or lower. A student can hold a strong scientific self-concept and a weak verbal one, and both can be perfectly accurate.

Frames Of Reference

Compared to Peers, and to Yourself

Marsh's internal and external frame of reference model adds something. Students evaluate their ability in a domain in two ways at once. External comparison is comparing themselves to their peers. That one is obvious, and expected. Internal comparison is less obvious. They compare their ability in this domain to their ability in others. And that produces a genuine paradox. Consider a student objectively high in both math and verbal ability. They may develop a lower math self-concept. Simply because their verbal performance feels even stronger. Being good at two things can lower your estimate of one of them. Which no amount of external evidence about their math will fix.

Covington

Self-Worth Theory

Martin Covington's self-worth theory adds a further dimension. Students are motivated above all else to protect self-worth. And in academic contexts, self-worth is often linked to perceived ability. That linkage is the dangerous part. When students believe performance measures their worth as a person, failure becomes existentially threatening. Not disappointing. Threatening. So students protect themselves in three characteristic ways. Self-handicapping, which means creating excuses in advance. Defensive pessimism. And strategic underachievement. Performing below potential, so failure can be blamed on effort.

Decoupling

Separating Performance From Worth

The intervention that follows is decoupling. Teachers who separate performance from worth change the stakes. They affirm students' value regardless of achievement. And that creates conditions where students can take intellectual risks. Now note what decoupling is not. It is not lowering expectations. The standard for the work stays exactly where it was. What changes is what a low result is taken to mean. About the person who produced it. And the payoff here is behavioral rather than emotional. A student who is not defending their worth has no reason to self-handicap.

Four Constructs

Which One Predicts What

Four constructs, and each predicts something different. Self-efficacy is narrow and context-specific. It best predicts effort, persistence and choice on specific tasks. Academic self-concept is domain-specific. It best predicts long-term achievement patterns within a domain. Self-esteem is global. It predicts emotional well-being, and is less predictive of achievement. And self-worth is context-sensitive. It predicts defensive behaviors. Self-handicapping and avoidance. To build efficacy systematically, five moves. Sequence tasks for early mastery. Use peer models of similar background. Give specific, competence-affirming feedback. Teach students to reinterpret nervousness as energizing. And avoid comparative grading, which erodes efficacy below the curve.

About Educational Psychology at UPI Study

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Educational Psychology carries a NCCRS credit recommendation. These universities work with NCCRS; some are UPI Study's signed partners. ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.

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FAQ

Questions students ask us

About I Think I Can, or I Am Good At This: Self-Efficacy and Self-Concept

What is self-efficacy?
Self-efficacy, defined by Albert Bandura, is a person's belief in their capacity to carry out the behaviors needed to produce specific outcomes in a particular context. It is task-specific, so a student can feel highly capable in algebra and unsure about essay writing at the same time. Self-efficacy predicts what people attempt, how much effort they invest and how long they persist through obstacles.
What is Covington's self-worth theory?
Martin Covington's self-worth theory says students are motivated above all to protect their self-worth, which in school is often tied to perceived ability. When performance seems to measure their worth as a person, failure becomes threatening, so students may self-handicap, adopt defensive pessimism or strategically underachieve so that failure can be blamed on effort. Teachers can help by affirming students' value regardless of achievement while keeping the same standards for the work.
What is Marsh's internal/external frame of reference model?
Herbert Marsh's model says students judge their ability in a subject in two ways at once: externally, by comparing themselves with peers, and internally, by comparing that subject with their other subjects. This creates a paradox. A student strong in both math and verbal skills may develop a lower math self-concept simply because their verbal performance feels even stronger.
What is the difference between self-efficacy and self-esteem?
Self-efficacy is a narrow belief about being able to succeed at a specific task, while self-esteem is a global evaluation of one's worth. A student can have low self-esteem yet high self-efficacy in a particular subject. Self-efficacy better predicts effort, persistence and achievement on tasks, which helps explain why programs aimed only at boosting global self-esteem often fail to improve outcomes.

About the Educational Psychology course

How many college credits is Educational Psychology?
Educational Psychology (Psychology 120) carries a NCCRS credit recommendation for 3 semester credits. ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
How much does Educational Psychology cost and what is included?
$250, paid once, with lifetime access: all 100 video lessons, a practice quiz after each, the graded work and final exam, and an official transcript when you finish. Students who want several courses choose UPI Study PRO instead.
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UPI Study has signed partner agreements with universities such as Thomas Edison State University, University of the People and Charter Oak State College, and works with universities such as Penn State, SNHU and SUNY. ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities. Use "Find my college" on this page to check yours.
How long does Educational Psychology take?
It is self-paced with no deadlines. The 100 lessons total about 15 hours of video; most students add reading and practice time and finish in a few weeks to a few months, on their own schedule.
How are the exams done?
Quizzes and assignments are online in the course. The final exam is taken online with proctoring; a person on the UPI Study team checks assignments, usually within two days.
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