Locus of Control
Locus of control “refers to an individual’s perception
about the underlying main causes of events in his/her
life” (Neill, 2006, p. 1). People believe that destiny is
controlled by either external forces, such as fate or
luck, or by internal forces, such as personal decisions
or efforts (Neill). Self-efficacy focuses on a person’s
belief in the ability to perform a specified task. A
person with a high-level of self-efficacy believes in the
utilization of cognitive and affective processes in order
to obtain a desired outcome. This is an example of
believing in an internal locus of control.
Antecedents of Self-Efficacy
Social experiences precede self-efficacy and determine
whether someone has high or low levels of selfefficacy.
People do not carry out everything they learn
despite having the ability to enact the behavior. “Once
behavior is learned, the regulation of the behavior
relies on motivational process of reinforcement”
(Ziegler, 2005, p. 36). Mastery experiences foster a
feeling of confidence and an eventual feeling of
self-efficacy, while failure in tasks fosters a low level of
self-efficacy. When confidence is gained, it influences
the person’s decision to attempt a new activity.
Social experiences precede self-efficacy
and determine whether someone has high
or low levels of self-efficacy. People do not
carry out everything they learn despite
having the ability to enact the behavior.
Expectations of self-efficacy are derived from four
principle sources of information that Bandura labels
self-efficacy appraisals. Bandura defines self-efficacy
appraisals as self-reflections on personal performance.
These appraisals are closely linked to levels of motivation.