Self-efficacy

a review applied to various areas of psychology.

Abstract

The self-efficacy construct (AE) was introduced by Bandura in 1977 as the central axis of the so-called Cognitive Social Theory. Currently, EC is defined as a broad and stable personal competence on how effective a person's behavior can be in dealing with a variety of potentially stressful situations. The concept of AE is of great interest to Psychology; For this reason, this work aims to carry out an updated narrative review, analyzing the role of EA in various research areas: educational, labor, health and psychotherapy. It was found that EA turns out to be a key construct in the various areas reviewed, occupying different roles such as: modulating variable, motivational variable and protective factor, among others. It is concluded that EC has great theoretical and practical importance because it is related to other relevant psychosocial variables (Performance, Motivation, Coping, Therapeutic adherence, among others). Further studies with greater methodological rigor are suggested that may continue to deepen the knowledge of Self-efficacy in different psychological contexts due to their diverse implications.