Which concept refers to belief in one's own ability to succeed in performing a desired behavior?

• A. Mastery experience
• B. Self-efficacy
• C. Vicarious experience
• D. Social persuasion

Answer: (B)

Self-efficacy is belief in one's own ability to succeed in performing a desired behavior. This belief shapes whether you start a task, how hard you try, how long you stay with it, and how you handle obstacles. In Bandura’s framework, this confidence comes from four sources: mastery experiences (successes build it), vicarious experiences (watching others succeed), social persuasion (encouragement from others), and how we interpret our arousal or emotions. The statement in question defines the concept directly—the sense of being capable to perform the behavior. The other items describe factors that can influence or build that belief, rather than the belief itself.