It Is Widely Assumed That Beliefs In

How Children Learn To Use Diverse Sources Of Efficacy Information In Developing A Stable And Accurate Sense Of Personal Efficacy Is A Matter Of Considerable Interest

For Many Activities, People Cannot Rely Solely On Themselves In Evaluating Their Ability Level Because Such Judgments Require Inferences From Probabilistic Indicants Of Talent About Which They May Have Limited Knowledge. Self-appraisals Are, Therefore, Partly Based On The Opinions Of Others Who Presumably Possess Evaluative Competence

Persons Who Have A Strong Sense Of Efficacy Deploy Their Attention And Effort To The Demands Of The Situation And Are Spurred By Obstacles To Greater Effort.

Because Of Such Conjointedness, Behavior That Exerts No Effect Whatsoever On Outcomes Is Developed And Consistently Performed

Gaining Insight Into One's Underlying Motives, It Seems, Is More Like A Belief Conversion Than A Self-discovery Process