Final answer:
Generalized self-efficacy is defined as a person's belief in their ability to succeed in a variety of situations. It's a crucial factor in how individuals approach challenges and set goals, underpinned by Albert Bandura's work on self-efficacy. High self-efficacy leads to embracing challenges, while low self-efficacy can result in avoidance of difficult tasks.
Step-by-step explanation:
The best definition of generalized self-efficacy is C. It refers to a person's belief in his or her ability to cope with and perform in a variety of situations. Generalized self-efficacy reflects an individual's belief in their own capacity to execute behaviors necessary to produce specific performance attainments.
Self-efficacy is different from other psychological concepts such as locus of control. Although Julian Rotter's locus of control describes whether people attribute outcomes to internal or external factors, self-efficacy specifically concerns belief in one's own abilities. Hence, individuals with an internal locus of control and high self-efficacy are likely to achieve more and be more independent because they feel capable and see themselves as in control of their success.