Final answer:
One's confidence in their ability to take action to reduce health risks is known as self-efficacy, which is the belief in one's capabilities to manage prospective situations. Coined by Albert Bandura, it significantly affects individuals' approach to tasks, challenges, and health behaviors.
Step-by-step explanation:
One's confidence in one's ability to take action to reduce health risks is known as self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is an individual's belief in their capability to execute behaviors necessary to produce specific performance attainments. Albert Bandura, a prominent psychologist, defined self-efficacy as the belief in one's capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to manage prospective situations. This concept is essential as it directly correlates with how individuals approach goals, tasks, and challenges.
The alternative options such as self-esteem, self-awareness, and self-regulation represent different psychological phenomena. Self-esteem refers to one's overall sense of self-worth or personal value. Self-awareness is the conscious knowledge of one's own character and feelings, and self-regulation is the ability to manage your emotions and behavior in accordance with the demands of the situation.
High levels of self-efficacy can lead to a more determined attitude towards tackling challenging tasks and overcoming obstacles, whereas low self-efficacy may result in avoidance of difficult tasks and a focus on negative outcomes. This concept is particularly influential in health-related behaviors, where believing in one's ability to effect change can significantly impact the decisions people make about their health.