Selfefficacy

1
Self-efficacy

• Self-efficacy is belief in ones capacity to
  succeed at tasks. General self-efficacy is
  belief in ones general capacity to handle tasks.
  Specific self-efficacy refers to beliefs about
  ones ability to perform specific tasks.

2
Self

• Between 700 and 1500, the concept of the self
  referred to only the weak, sinful, crude,
  selfish nature of humans.
• Self in the 20th century. Education and
  parenting in North America has been criticized
  for overemphasizing praise and affirmation of
  children.

3
Self-efficacy

• Self-efficacy developing from mastery experiences
  in which goals are achieved through perseverance
  and overcoming obstacles and from observing
  others succeed through sustained effort.
• Knowing ones limitation boundaries, realistic
  goals can be successfully accomplished which, in
  turn, establish new goals leading to further
  success and developing mental toughness.
• Self-efficacy has been found to be a significant
  predictor of superior performance.

4
Self-efficacy on Memory

• Human memory is an active constructive process in
  which information is semantically elaborated,
  transformed, and reorganized into meaning memory.
  
• Self-Beliefs of efficacy can enhance or impair
  performance through their effects on cognitive,
  affective, or motivational intervening processes.
  Research has shown the self-efficacy affects
  thinking processes, either as events of interest
  in their own right or as intervening influences
  of other aspects of psychosocial functioning.
• People who believe strongly in their
  problem-solving capabilities remain highly
  efficient in their analytic thinking in complex
  decision-making situations. Those who are
  plagued by self-doubts are erratic in their
  analytic thinking.

5
Self-efficacy in visual images

• Evidence suggests that visual images and motor
  images are encoded in the brain using different
  neural networks, and that these neural pathways
  are activated by imagery in the same way that
  they are activated when actually performing the
  imagined act
• When performers become more skilled, kinesthetic
  imagery may help them acquire a detailed feel for
  the required movements.
• If you can see yourself doing it before you do it
  you will have more success.

6
Self-efficacy in ABC

• The goal of adventure based counseling programs
  is to help individuals deal with their fears and
  push them outside of their physical and
  psychological comfort zones.
• Special needs students with behavior and
  adjustment difficulties who participated in
  adventure based counseling activities in the
  school system improved their self-efficacy,
  decreased their anxiety, and showed an increase
  in positive attitudes toward school.
• The process focuses on success and skills rather
  than focusing on failure of lack of ability.

7
Self-efficacy in boys and girls

• While both male and female participants may be
  similarly skilled in a particular component, if
  the tasks are better suited to the male body
  type the woman faces initial failure and
  feelings of inadequacy.
• Instead of changing the emphasis of the task,
  women are expected to be perfect and therefore
  may be discouraged from seeking additional
  adventure situations.
• To raise self efficacy and self confidence you
  have to change the activities that can include
  all sorts of students. If the boys are just
  succeeding the activity needs to be changed.

8
Self-efficacy in the outdoors

• Outdoor programs offer a physically active way
  for staff and participants to relate to one
  another, so the emphasis is not solely on talk.
• It is an effective way of reaching many people,
  especially adolescents who may be resistant to
  talking or who lack trust in adult authority
  figures.
• Studies of mental health programs have shown
  widely reported increases in self-esteem of
  participants and a positive impact on self
  efficacy

9
Self-efficacy in cancer

• Findings suggested that participation in
  adventure programs may enhance the ability of
  family members to cope with the cancer diagnosis
  by increasing their use of communication and
  social support.
• Adventure programs gave the cancer victims an
  opportunity to practice making choices and taking
  control of their own experience. For most, the
  metaphor of making choices on the challenge
  course was transferable to their lives.

10
Self-efficacy on teenagers

• Instead of bearing down harder on teenagers as
  they struggle harder and instead of simply
  letting them go to wreak havoc upon themselves
  and others, such an adventure offers a third
  alternative the opportunity to take control of
  their lives within an appropriate structure
• Rather then making the emphasis of the program on
  rules and restrictions, the focus shifts to
  challenges and opportunities.
• By given the challenge of caring for their basic
  needs, residents experience true autonomy for the
  first time and realize they have been given what
  they had been fighting for, yet it was not by
  fighting that they gained it and only by
  cooperation and appropriate behavior will they
  keep it. The teenagers begin to learn to trust
  adults and also are further reinforced in their
  sense of autonomy and individuality.

11
Self-efficacy on teenagers cont.

• The common philosophy of adventure education
  programming includes the beliefs that
  adolescents are more capable then we generally
  acknowledge human potential can be unlocked
  through challenging experiences in supportive
  group environments.
• Research has indicated that camping and adventure
  education programs are reasonably effective means
  for enhancing adolescent self efficacy.

12
Self-efficacy pros

• Self-constructs seem to be positively associated
  with other desirable qualities, such as better
  quality of live, higher academic performance,
  character development and personal growth.

13
Self- efficacy cons

• Simply boosting self-esteem without boosting
  personal skill, it has been argued, creates more
  serious problems arising from the self-deception
• This area deserves further research. Among other
  tasks, attention needs to be paid to
  distinguishing shallow self-esteem boosting
  methods form well developed, effective approaches
  to personal and social development.
• In all my research the over-all theme is that
  they believe self-efficacy is a good thing but
  they need more research to prove that
  self-efficacy is a valued characteristic.

14
References

• Bandura, Albert. (1989). Regulation of Cognitive
  Processes Through Perceived Self-Efficacy.
  Developmental Psychology vol. 25, No. 5, 729-735.
• Bray, Steven R. Jones, Marc V. Mace, Roger D.
  MacRae, Alexander W. Stockbridge, Claire (2002).
  The Impact of Motivational Imagery on the
  Emotional State and Self-Efficacy Levels of
  Novice Climbers. Journal of Sport Behavior.
  Vol.25 issue1, p57, 17p
• Callow, Nichola. Hardy, Lew. (1999). Efficacy of
  External and Internal Visual Imagery Perspectives
  for the Enhancement of Performance on Tasks in
  Which Form Is Important. Journal of Sport and
  Exercise Psychology, vol. 21, 95-112.
• Cantrell, Peggy. Robbins, Michael. Ryckman,
  Richard. Billy Thornton (1982). Development and
  Validation of a Physical Self-Efficacy Scale.
  Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
  Vol. 42 No-5, p891-900
• Davis-Berman, Jennifer. Berman, Dene. (2006).
  Outdoor Education and Troubled Youth. Outdoor
  Education and Troubled Youth. Pg. 1-5
• Glass, Scott. Myers, Jane. (2001) Combing the old
  and the New to Help Adolescents Individual
  Psychology and Adventure-Based Counseling.
  Journal of Mental Health Counseling, Vol. 23. No.
  2, 104-114
• Golby, Jim. Sheard, Michael. (2006). The Efficacy
  of an Outdoor Adventure Education Curriculum on
  Selected Aspects of Positive Psychological
  Development. Journal of Experiential Education
  vol. 29, No. 2 pp. 187-209.

15
References continued

• Humberstone, Barbara. Lynch, Pip. (1990). Girls
  Concepts of Themselves and Their Experiences in
  Outdoor Education Programs. The Journal of
  Adventure Education and Outdoor Leadership. 8 (3)
• Howelll, Jack. (2007). Adventure Boosts
  Empowerment. Reclaiming children and youth. Pg.
  45-48
• Neill, James. (2000). Building a Healthy
  challenges for adolescent development.
  Adventure-based programs. 3 pgs
• Sibthorp, Jim. (2003). An Empiracal Look at Walsh
  and Golins Adventure Education Process Model
  Relationships between antecedent Factors,
  Perceptions of Characteristics of an Adventure
  Education Experience, and Changes in
  Self-Efficacy. Journal of Leisure Research, Vol.
  35. No. 1, 80-106
• Sugerman, Deborah. (2005). I am More Than My
  Cancer An Exploratory Examination of Adventure
  Programming and Cancer Survivors. Journal of
  Experiential Education. Vol. 28. No. 1. 72-83.
• Vogel, Robert. Adventure Training Its Effect on
  Self-Actualization and Self-Perception of
  Personal Change.