How to enhance self efficacy beliefs

Yesterday I reproduced a post which I wrote on members blog about self efficacy

Everyday work on your self efficacy beliefs...

Some of you have asked how can one do that. Self efficacy is very different from self confidence and many of the things emphasized in pop psychology books or self help book. Self efficacy is a behavioral school of thought in psychology that tries to explain our learning  and motivation.

This old post of mine explains how to build self efficacy. 

How can you enhance perceived self efficacy
Self efficacy is built through four processes:

1. Mastery experience
2. Role modelling
3. verbal persuasion
4. psychological cues.

These four are in order of importance. Most critical way to build self efficacy is through a mastery experience.

Mastery experience is basically a successful experience of mastering a task. Mastery experiences happen when the learner has reached the point where they understand the content knowledge enough to perform a task on their own or masters the task. It happens if the learner goes in to sufficient depth on material he  is trying to learn. It happens as a result of immersion in a particular field or task. It happens with plenty of prior exposure to the content. At some stage the learners are able to interpret the results of their actions and use those results to develop their own capability to engage in future actions or tasks. Then the learner become auto learners. They are able to participate in tasks on a first hand basis with little or no assistance from outside influences. When you experience a intense mastery experience you get a feedback on your own capabilities. Long and sustained efforts are required for mastery experience.

Self efficacy beliefs are critical not only in academic situation but in any task like sports. Self efficacy beliefs are task specific. So a person might have high perceived self efficacy beliefs in one subject but have less self efficacy in other field.

Self efficacy builds over a period of time and more mastery experience you have, you become better at a task and learning other tasks. 

Mastery experience is the main source of self efficacy. All other things are secondary. In training or coaching situation one can structure the situation in such a way that the trainee experiences a mastery experience. This is the fundamental principle used in training commandos and marines. In simulated and controlled situation they are put in situations where intense learning happens in a very short period of time. That creates a mastery experience. That forever enhances the trainees perceived self efficacy belief. Some years ago Discovery Channel had a 6 part series called Navy Seals Buds Class 234 , if you watch that , it is excellent example of creating mastery experience in a simulated environment. If you work for a successful start up at early stage, you will have a mastery experience. That is why you will find many successful entrepreneurs become serial entrepreneurs. 

Many people go through a lifetime without having a intense mastery experience in any field  and so have low self efficacy belief.  

Vicarious experience or role modelling is the second source of self efficacy. It is when the learner is primarily gaining self- efficacy or confidence in a given task through observation of a role model attaining success at a task The learner does not play an active role in such learning experience. They are learning more through the watching of someone who already understands the task or the objective or is on the same skill level as the observer.


The social persuasion or the verbal persuasion as it is also called is basically  the exposure to the verbal and nonverbal judgments that others provide that can impact the level of self efficacy that a student has.


Physiological cues is the next source of self efficacy beliefs. We judge our own  degree of confidence by the emotional state we experience as we contemplate or engage in an action. So our physiological states affect our  self efficacy beliefs. But such states tend to be temporary.