Self-efficacy beliefs and change in cognitive performance: MacArthur studies on Successful Aging.

Data from a cohort of relatively high functioning, older men and women were used to test the hypothesis that stronger self-efficacy beliefs predict better maintenance of cognitive performance. Structural equation modeling revealed that stronger baseline instrumental efficacy beliefs predicted better verbal memory performance at follow-up among men but not among women, controlling for baseline verbal memory score and sociodemographic and health status characteristics. For both men and women there were no significant associations between either type of self-efficacy beliefs and measures of nonverbal memory, abstraction, or spatial ability. Consistent with previous research showing relationships between baseline cognitive performance and change in self-efficacy beliefs, better abstraction ability was also predictive of increases in instrumental efficacy beliefs among the men. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Age and health care beliefs: Self-efficacy as a mediator of low desire for control.

The relation between individuals' age, desire for control, information, and perceived self-efficacy was examined using a cross-sectional comparison of 116 noninstitutionalized adults, ages 20 to 99. We found that individuals over 60 years of age desired less health-related control than did younger adults, and preferred that health professionals make decisions for them. Differences in desire for health-related information were in the same direction but were not significant. Older adults also desired less control in general day-to-day living. Perceived self-efficacy was also lower for individuals over 60 years of age. Results suggested that perceived self-efficacy mediated the age differences in health-related desire for control. Mediation of general desire for control, however, was not strong. Cohort and developmental explanations are provided for these findings. It is suggested that those individuals most at risk for chronic illnesses and hospitalization are also those who are most likely to fail to take an active role in their health care. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of measures of psychopathy.

397 inmates of adult correctional institutions were administered the revised Activity Preference Questionnaire, 16 PF, Eysenck Personality Inventory, MMPI, Sensation-Seeking Scale, and Personal Opinion Study. Inspection of correlations and factors associated with indices of psychopathy showed no substantial agreement among the scales. Implications for the study of psychopathy are drawn. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Articulation of career values: Comparison of three measures.

Compared the reliability and validity of 3 methods of measuring students' ability to articulate their career values, including a replication of the method used by L. Cochran (see record 1983-25423-001) and 2 others (idiosyncratic and standardized) developed in response to perceived problems with the Cochran method. Ss were 35 male and 48 female undergraduates. Test–retest reliabilities for the 3 methods were .33, .66, and .19, respectively. Findings, together with inconsistent relations between grid scores and other career development measures, suggest that the grid methodology may be ineffective for measuring this construct. (6 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of factor structures and criterion-related validity coefficients for two measures of personality based on the five factor model.

The factor structure and criterion-related validity for 2 types of personality measures that are based on 5 factor models were studied. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to compare a 5 versus 6 factor model in an applied setting. In addition, criterion-related validity coefficients were examined for the 2 inventories. Two Big Five measures were used—1 was an adjective-based bipolar inventory and the other was a questionnaire (NEO-Personality Inventory; PI)—to shed light on the relationships between inventory characteristics, factor structure, and criterion-related validity. The sample consisted of 423 flight attendant trainees. Results indicated that the 6 factor model provided a better fit for both measures compared with the 5 factor model. Scales from the NEO-PI were significantly correlated with measures of training success, whereas scales from the bipolar inventory were not. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-efficacy and work-related performance: A meta-analysis.

This meta-analysis (114 studies, k?=?157, N?=?21,616) examined the relationship between self-efficacy and work-related performance. Results of the primary meta-analysis indicated a significant weighted average correlation between self-efficacy and work-related performance, G(r±)?=?.38, and a significant within-group heterogeneity of individual correlations. To account for this variation, the authors conducted a 2-level theory-driven moderator analysis by partitioning the k sample of correlations first according to the level of task complexity (low, medium, and high), and then into 2 classes according to the type of study setting (simulated-lab vs. actual-field). New directions for future theory development and research are suggested, and practical implications of the findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-efficacy and smoking cessation: A meta-analysis.

According to relapse models, self-efficacy (SE), or confidence in one's ability to abstain, should predict the outcome of an attempt to quit smoking. We reviewed 54 studies that prospectively examined this relationship. The relationship between SE and future smoking depended upon the population studied and the timing of the SE assessment. The relationship between SE and future smoking was modest when SE was assessed prior to a quit attempt; SE scores were .21 standard deviation units (SD) higher for those not smoking at follow-up than for those who were smoking. The relationship was stronger (.47 SD) when SE was assessed post-quit. However, this effect was diminished when only abstainers at the time of the SE assessment were included in analysis (.28 SD). Controlling for smoking status at the time of SE assessment substantially reduced the relationship between SE and future smoking. Although SE has a reliable association with future abstinence, it is less robust than expected. Many studies may overestimate the relationship by failing to appropriately control for smoking behavior at the time of the SE assessment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-efficacy: An additional dimension in play therapy.

Describes the theoretical integration of play therapy theory and self-efficacy theory. A. Bandura (1986) theorized that 4 factors strengthened or weakened individuals' beliefs about personal efficacy: mastery experiences of performance, vicarious experiences that provide for social comparison, verbal persuasion and social influences, and physiological responses. Examples from a case study of a 6-yr-old girl were used to illustrate the principles involved. Implications for teaching the self-efficacy theory along with the play therapy theory are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of five clinical weaning indices

BACKGROUND: Despite extensive data acquired in the area of weaning, clinicians still struggle with the questions of how and when to begin the process. Clinical weaning indices, designed to predict weaning potential, are often difficult to use. They provide an answer at a specific time; extrapolation to the weaning process is rarely possible. No single index has proven to be superior. OBJECTIVES: To test the efficacy of five clinical weaning indices (Burns Weaning Assessment Program; Weaning Index; frequency tidal volume ratio; compliance, resistance, oxygenation and pressure index; and negative inspiratory pressure) at regular intervals during withdrawal of ventilatory support and to determine threshold levels for the program. METHODS: A prospective convenience sample consisted of 37 adult critical care patients requiring mechanical ventilation for at least 7 days and identified as stable and ready to wean. Data were collected on all weaning indices every other day until the patient was weaned. RESULTS: With the exception of the Burns Weaning Assessment Program, weaning indices did not change significantly from preweaning scores. Furthermore, the results failed to demonstrate that any of the five clinical weaning indices have strong predictive power related to weaning trial outcomes, although all the indices had negative predictive values that may be helpful in predicting unsuccessful weaning trials. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that the process of weaning may be enhanced by comprehensive, systematic approaches and that clinical weaning indices like the Burns Weaning Assessment Program might best serve as tools to track trends in progress, keep care planning on target, and prevent unsuccessful weaning trials.     

Comparison of measures of adaptive behaviors in preschool children.

Compared 6 measures of adaptive behavior to determine which tests and items best discriminate between behavior problem and nonproblem preschool children. 11 nonproblem and 13 problem children, matched on age (4 yrs) and IQ (110–215), were compared on the following tests: the Minnesota Child Development Inventory, the Classroom Adjustment Rating Scale, the Ottawa School Behavior Survey, the AML (Acting out, Moodiness, Learning disorders) Behavior Rating Scale, the Teacher Rating Scale, and the Denver Developmental Screening Test. Problem Ss scored significantly lower than nonproblem Ss on all 6 measures. In addition, fine-motor items discriminated better than gross-motor, language, social, and behavioral items. The Minnesota Child Development Inventory items were the best discriminators, followed by items on the Ottawa School Behavior Survey and the Teacher Rating Scale. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison between two measures of delay discounting in smokers.

Agreement between computer and questionnaire measures of delay discounting in smokers was compared. Correlations between measures for small, medium, or large rewards were significant. Log κ values decreased as the reward delay increased, with values lower for the computer task than the questionnaire, with significant differences for small rewards. The 2 measures were related to smoking rate but not to age, gender, or obesity. The Bland-Altman test of agreement indicated large within-subject differences in κ values between the 2 measures. The size of the difference between the log κ values and magnitude of the log κ values were positively related. Results suggest κ values from the 2 measures are related but may not be used interchangeably. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-efficacy and expectancy: Old wine with new labels.

Discusses inconsistent definitions of self-efficacy and outcome expectancies, which have been a source of conceptual confusion. A. Bandura (1977; see also PA, Vols 58:5733 and 71:6766) used the term outcome expectancy in 2 different ways, each implying a different relation to self-efficacy. In tests of ability, self-efficacy had been operationalized in ways that are virtually identical to J. B. Rotter's (1954, 1972, 1982) expectancy construct, and both theories generate identical predictions. In these situations, low self-efficacy does not elicit fear. Bandura's examples of low snake-approach self-efficacy are inconsistent with his method of measuring the construct. Questionnaires purporting to measure people's judgments about their ability to approach a feared stimulus actually measure their willingness to approach the stimulus. Willingness to approach a feared stimulus is affected by anticipated harm, expected anxiety, and the magnitude of expected reinforcements. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-efficacy and mathematics achievement: A study of their relation.

In this study, I investigated the relation between self-efficacy and mathematics achievement when other factors, such as self-concept of math ability, prior task achievement, and prior self-efficacy were taken into account. I assessed self-efficacy over 4 trials in a repeated-measures design with 72 children, aged 9–10 years. I assessed task performance after the first and third self-efficacy assessment. Regression analysis indicated small or no predictive relation between self-efficacy and task performance, depending on task familiarity, when these other factors were included in the analysis. Results of the study lend one to doubt that there is a simple relation between self-efficacy and task performance in the field of mathematics learning. The complexity of self-efficacy, its sources, and consequences are also illustrated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-efficacy and marijuana cessation: A construct validity analysis.

Hypotheses regarding the relationships between self-efficacy for avoiding marijuana use and theoretically related measures were examined in a sample of 161 men and 51 women who sought treatment aimed at marijuana cessation. Theoretically proposed sources of efficacy judgments showed stronger univariate and multivariate relationships with efficacy for avoiding marijuana use after treatment than before treatment. The cognitive-behavioral relapse prevention treatment resulted in marginally greater self-efficacy, compared with a nonbehavioral treatment, but the link between coping skill training and efficacy was ambiguous. Efficacy contributed incrementally to the prediction of posttreatment marijuana use beyond efficacy source variables, but it did not completely mediate the effects of those sources of efficacy judgments. Predictive validity was stronger for frequency of posttreatment marijuana use than for abstinence status. The need for better assessment of the efficacy construct and potential revisions in efficacy theory as applied to substance use are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-efficacy mechanism in human agency.

Addresses the centrality of the self-efficacy mechanism (SEM) in human agency. SEM precepts influence thought patterns, actions, and emotional arousal. In causal tests, the higher the level of induced self-efficacy, the higher the performance accomplishments and the lower the emotional arousal. The different lines of research reviewed show that the SEM may have wide explanatory power. Perceived self-efficacy helps to account for such diverse phenomena as changes in coping behavior produced by different modes of influence, level of physiological stress reactions, self-regulation of refractory behavior, resignation and despondency to failure experiences, self-debilitating effects of proxy control and illusory inefficaciousness, achievement strivings, growth of intrinsic interest, and career pursuits. The influential role of perceived collective efficacy in social change and the social conditions conducive to development of collective inefficacy are analyzed. (2? p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-efficacy and perceived control: Cognitive mediators of pain tolerance.

The cold-pressor task was used with 102 female undergraduates in 2 experiments to determine (a) whether self-efficacy has validity as a true causal determinant of behavior change or is a correlate of change that has already occurred and (b) how perceptions of control and self-efficacy interact to determine choice behavior, persistence, and the impact of an aversive stimulus. Results of Experiment 1 indicate that self-efficacy expectations affected performance beyond what would have been expected from past performance alone. Changes in self-efficacy expectations predicted changes in cold-pressor tolerance. These findings suggest that self-efficacy expectations can be causal determinants of behavior in an aversive situation. Results of Experiment 2 indicate that self-efficacy was separable from control and that performance was best if both high levels of perceived control and self-efficacy were present. These findings support the notion that self-efficacy expectations can mediate the desirability of providing control, in that those who benefit most from control are those who are most confident they can exercise it. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Informed consent: Therapists' beliefs and practices.

To assess the current status of informed consent among psychotherapists, a survey instrument was sent to 324 American Psychological Association members currently practicing therapy. 189 therapists returned completed surveys, yielding a response rate of 58%. Survey responses provided information on use, importance, reasons, communication, methods, and timing regarding 5 specific consent issues. These issues included confidentiality, risks, treatment length, treatment procedures, and alternatives. Results suggest similarity and variability in therapists' reported beliefs and practices. Therapists of a cognitive-behavioral orientation indicated they inform clients more often and consider the issues more important. These findings, along with the reasons given for not informing clients, highlight the complexity of applying ethical standards to practice contexts. Implications for practice and research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-efficacy pathways to childhood depression.

This prospective research analyzed how different facets of perceived self-efficacy operate in concert within a network of sociocognitive influences in childhood depression. Perceived social and academic inefficacy contributed to concurrent and subsequent depression both directly and through their impact on academic achievement, prosocialness, and problem behaviors. In the shorter run, children were depressed over beliefs in their academic inefficacy rather than over their actual academic performances. In the longer run, the impact of a low sense of academic efficacy on depression was mediated through academic achievement, problem behavior, and prior depression. Perceived social inefficacy had a heavier impact on depression in girls than in boys in the longer term. Depression was also more strongly linked over time for girls than for boys. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-efficacy and smoking reexamined: Construct validity and clinical utility.

131 clients (mean age 39 yrs) in a smoking cessation program rated their confidence (self-efficacy) in their ability to resist smoking at the end of treatment and throughout a 6-mo follow-up period. Consistent with previous findings, posttreatment scores significantly predicted subsequent smoking status. When concurrent smoking was partialed out, efficacy remained predictive but to a much lesser degree. The partial correlations also indicated that when pitted against concurrent smoking, confidence scores retain some unique predictive power but do not operate as a powerful mediator of the effects of concurrent behavior. Factor analysis of posttreatment scores revealed that efficacy ratings are primarily unidimensional and not situation specific. Efficacy ratings made 2 mo after treatment were quite predictive of future relapse. These analyses suggest that efficacy ratings, although generally not a mediating variable, can be useful predictors of relapse, particularly when assessed during the maintenance phase of treatment. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)