Self-efficacy (self-determination)
Alessia Passanisi
Kore University of Enna

The concept of self-efficacy refers to an individual’s belief in his or her own ability to organize and implement the course of action necessary to properly manage the situations he or she encounters in a way that would achieve the desired results. People’s belief in their own efficacy influence the way they think, feel, find personal motivations and act (Bandura, 1986). Successful personal experiences convey and consolidate a sense of self-efficacy, as do vicarious experiences – educational experiences in which individuals generally tend to reiterate their behaviour through indirect and direct adult influences (Bandura, 1997) – as well as people’s ability to evaluate their emotional states and personal resources.
Self-efficacy conveys cognitive, affective and social processes. It affects the motivational aspects of individuals as well as the processes through which they make choices, self-determine and engage in personal self-management. Thus, self-efficacy as a concept is closely connected to the recognition of a person’s ability to make autonomous and independent choices, i.e. self-determination. In other words, people with high levels of self-efficacy are capable of acting and making choices in a variety of contexts (Bandura, 1994). In relation to this point, the literature suggests that beliefs of self-efficacy positively influence well-being and may reduce dysfunctional emotional states, stress, and anxious and depressive emotional states. It is a multifactorial concept that influences a person’s life as a whole in that it affects lifestyles, skills and values (Bandura, 1997).
In particular, the concept of social self-efficacy (Ibid) refers to the individual’s awareness of being able to master specific activities, situations or aspects of his or her psychosocial functioning. People with high levels of social self-efficacy face difficult tasks head on, viewing them as challenges to tackle rather than threats to avoid. Social self-efficacy also promotes intrinsic interest and deep involvement in activities and produces high levels of commitment, increasing and supporting personal efforts to avoid failure (Bandura, 1994). The literature also suggests that this concept may often influence the development of ethnic identity in some way (Smith et al., 1999). Specifically, a recent study suggests that both ethnic identity and self-efficacy may constitute protective factors in development, as they aid in giving shape to a positive self-image (Maffini & Kim-Ju, 2018).
In the RE-SERVES project, the analysis of the self-efficacy of foreign minors and adolescents is fundamental for mapping the protective factors related to their social and educational adaptation process.

Selected references

Bandura, A. (1986). The explanatory and predictive scope of self-efficacy theory. Journal of social and clinical psychology, 4(3), 359-373.

Bandura, A. (1994). Self-efficacy. In V. S. Ramachaudran (Ed.), Encyclopedia of human behavior (Vol. 4, pp. 71-81). Academic Press.

Bandura, A. (1997). Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control. W. H. Freeman.

Maffini, C. S., & Kim-Ju, G. M. (2018). Fighting and bullying among Asian Americans and Latinos: Testing the roles of self-efficacy, ethnic identity, and ethnicity. Youth & Society, 50(8), 1019-1036.

Smith, E. P., Walker, K., Fields, L., Brookins, C. C., & Seay, R. C. (1999). Ethnic identity and its relationship to self-esteem, perceived efficacy and prosocial attitudes in early adolescence. Journal of adolescence, 22, 867-880.