Final answer:
The belief that one can master a situation and produce positive outcomes is known as self-efficacy, a concept that denotes confidence in one's abilities and is situation-specific.
Step-by-step explanation:
The belief that one can master a situation and produce positive outcomes is known as self-efficacy. This concept was developed by psychologist Albert Bandura and reflects an individual's belief in their own abilities to achieve goals, handle challenges, and recover from setbacks. Self-efficacy is distinct from other psychological constructs such as self-esteem or locus of control, though they all relate to how we perceive and approach challenges in our lives. High self-efficacy is characterized by a positive attitude toward difficulties, seeing them as tasks to be mastered, and a commitment to activities while maintaining resilience in the face of adversity. Self-efficacy can be situation-specific, meaning that one might feel confident in their abilities in one domain (like English class) but not in another (such as math class). It ties closely to the concept of locus of control as proposed by Julian Rotter. Individuals with an internal locus of control believe that their efforts directly influence their outcomes, while individuals with an external locus of control attribute outcomes to external factors such as luck or other people.