We recently completed a very exciting project for one of our clients. One of the main insights that we gained from the psychometric assessment data, was the fact that there were significant relationships between self-efficacy and performance on a complex and ambiguous cognitive measure. Specifically, we found:
- A significant negative relationship between high levels of self-efficacy and an individual’s tendency to jump to conclusions.
- A significant positive relationship between high levels of self-efficacy and an individual’s capability to spend most of his/her time on the most difficult aspects of a cognitively challenging task (good pace control).
- A significant positive relationship between high levels of self-efficacy and an individual’s capability to synthesise ambiguous, discrepant and conflicting information.
- A significant positive relationship between high levels of self-efficacy and an individual’s preferred level of work complexity.
- A significant positive relationship between high self-efficacy and an individual’s capability to follow through their reasoning processes, in a disciplined and logical manner.
- A significant positive relationship between high levels of self-efficacy and an individual’s capability to use their judgement to clarify unstructured and vague information.
- A significant positive relationship between high levels of self-efficacy and quick insight learning.
What is self-efficacy?
I engaged Dr Wim Myburgh for his expert advice and insight into self-efficacy. This is his insight:
In colloquial terms, self-efficacy beliefs are frequently referred to as the ‘self-confidence‘ to perform a specific task at a certain level of competence. Although conceptually similar to self-efficacy beliefs, Bandura (1997) states that self-confidence (as a trait) is a nondescript term that refers to the strength of a belief, but does not necessarily specify what the certainty is about.
Another surrogate term for self-efficacy beliefs is self-esteem. Self-esteem usually is considered to be a global affective trait that reflects an individual’s characteristic affective evaluation of the self (e.g., feelings of self-worth or self-liking) across a wide variety of situations.
Self-efficacy beliefs are defined as ―beliefs in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to produce given attainments (Bandura, 1997, p. 3). Self-efficacy beliefs represent an individual-in-context appraisal. This appraisal constitutes a comprehensive state-based judgement of individual and context-specific capabilities.
Bandura‘s definition of self-efficacy includes “organize and execute courses of action,” which represents the theory’s more specific and situational view of perceived competence in terms of including the behavioural actions or cognitive skills that are necessary for competent performance.
The underlying premise of self-efficacy beliefs is the self-regulation of behaviour through four efficacy-activated processes that include cognitive, affective, motivational and selective processes (Bandura, 1997). These beliefs influence how a challenge is cognitively evaluated and determine how much effort individuals will expend and how long they will persevere when confronting obstacles. In addition, self-efficacy beliefs influence individuals‘ thought patterns and emotional reactions and determine how resilient they will be in the face of adverse situations.
Self-efficacy beliefs influence:
- Choices: the kind of action the individual is likely to make.
- Effort: the individual is likely to put forth (level or effort or magnitude).
- Persistence: of actions despite obstacles and in the face of failure (persistence,or strength).
- How resilient the individual is likely to be.
- How the individual is likely to confront a new situation.
How Are Self-Efficacy Beliefs Created?
Individuals form their self-efficacy beliefs by interpreting information primarily from three sources.
The most influential source is the interpreted result of one’s previous performance, or mastery experience. The primary source of learning is mastery experiences. The role played by coaching, workshops, training and other initiatives are relatively modest in comparison to ‘learn-by-doing (on-the-job mastery)’ experiences.
In fact, researchers estimate that upward of 70% of all management and leadership development occurs through informal, on-the-job experiences, whereas training and other formal programs contribute less than 10% of a manager/leader’s development. Mastery-related work experiences include: challenging work, novel responsibilities, creating change, working across boundaries, and managing diversity.
Effort is what makes one talented. Deliberate practice is a method for improving expert performance based on constant feedback and working at the edge of one’s abilities. More of it equals better performance and tons of it equals great performance. One follows ‘kaizen’ (Japanese word for improvement, or change for the better, a concept that applies to people who choose to upskill as the career progresses).
In addition, people form their self-efficacy beliefs through the vicarious experience of observing others perform tasks. Observing the successes of such models contributes to the observers’ beliefs about their own capabilities (“If they can do it, so can I!”). A significant model in one’s life can help instil self-beliefs.
Individuals also create and develop self-efficacy beliefs, because of the social persuasions they receive from others. These persuasions can involve exposure to the verbal judgements that others provide. Persuaders play an important part in the development of an individual’s self-beliefs. Effective persuaders must cultivate people’s beliefs in their capabilities, while at the same time ensuring that the envisioned success is attainable.