Among The Types Of Thoughts That Affect

The Difficulty In Judging What Type Of Behavior Works Well Arises Not Only Because A Given Course Of Action Does Not Always Produce The Outcomes. Similar Outcomes Can Occur For Reasons Other Than The Person's Actions, Which Further Complicates Inferential Judgment. Effects That Arise Independently Of One's Actions Distort The Influence Of Similar Effects Produced By The Actions, But Only On Some Occasions. Given A Strong Cognitive Set To Perceive Regularities, Even Chance Joint Occurrences Of Events Can Be Easily Misjudged As Genuine Relationships Of Low Contingent Probability

People Are Much More Likely To Act On Their Self-percepts Of Efficacy Inferred From Many Sources Of Information Rather Than Rely Primarily On Visceral Cues. This Is Not Surprising Because Self Knowledge Based On Information About One's Coping Skills, Past Accomplishments, And Social Comparison Is Considerably More Indicative Of Capability Than The Indefinite Stirrings Of The Viscera

Success And Failure Are Largely Self-defined In Terms Of Personal Standards. The Higher The Self-standards, The More Likely Will Given Attainments Be Viewed As Failures, Regardless Of What Others Might Think.

People Who Believe They Have The Power To Exercise Some Measure Of Control Over Their Lives Are Healthier, More Effective And More Successful Than Those Who Lack Faith In Their Ability To Effect Changes In Their Lives.

People Regulate Their Level And Distribution Of Effort In Accordance With The Effects They Expect Their Actions To Have. As A Result, Their Behavior Is Better Predicted From Their Beliefs Than From The Actual Consequences Of Their Actions