Final answer:
Self-efficacy is a person's belief in their ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish a task, playing a key role in how one approaches goals and challenges.
Step-by-step explanation:
Self-efficacy is described as B. the general sense of one's ability to master tasks and to direct one's behavior toward a goal. This concept was introduced by psychologist Albert Bandura and forms a central part of his social cognitive theory. Self-efficacy is our belief in our capacity to execute behaviors necessary to produce specific performance attainments. It reflects confidence in the ability to exert control over one's own motivation, behavior, and social environment. These beliefs influence the tasks we choose to pursue, our persistence in the face of challenges, and our resilience to setbacks.
Bandura posited that these efficacy beliefs play a crucial role in our functioning and can be developed through four sources: mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion, and physiological states. As one grows and acquires various competencies through social experiences, self-efficacy consequently affects how one approaches goals, tasks, and challenges.
People with high self-efficacy generally believe that their goals are attainable, view challenges as tasks to be mastered, develop a strong sense of commitment to their interests and activities and quickly recover from setbacks. Conversely, individuals with low self-efficacy tend to shy away from difficult tasks, focus on personal failings and negative outcomes, and have a lower persistence when facing adversity. While self-efficacy does affect our motivation and behavior, it is distinguished from similar constructs such as self-concept, self-esteem, or locus of control. Self-efficacy is task-specific confidence, whereas these other terms span a broader range of personal perceptions and beliefs about oneself.