Final answer:
The concept of believing in your ability to win a hot dog eating contest is best described as self-efficacy, which is the belief in one's capabilities to complete a specific task. Hence, option (c) is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
If you believe you will win the hot dog eating contest, then you have a sense of self-efficacy and you are more likely to enter the hot dog eating contest. Self-efficacy is an individual's belief in their capabilities to complete a task. This term was theorized by Albert Bandura and plays a critical role in motivating behavior.
High self-efficacy means that individuals believe their goals are within reach and see challenges as tasks to be mastered. They have a positive view and are committed to their activities. They also tend to quickly recover from setbacks, which makes them more likely to engage in competitions like a hot dog eating contest.
It's important to distinguish self-efficacy from other self-related concepts. Self-concept encompasses all thoughts and feelings about ourselves, self-esteem is how we value ourselves, and self-actualization is the realization of our full potential. In the context of this question, self-efficacy is the correct answer as it directly relates to the belief in one's ability to win a contest or complete a specific task.