The notion of ‘self-efficacy’ is based on _____.

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 4

The correct answer is Option (4) → Bandura’s social learning theory

Option (1) Allport’s trait theory — Incorrect. Allport classified a person’s traits into cardinal, central and secondary traits. His theory describes what traits a person has, not her/his belief in her/his own ability.

Option (2) Eysenck’s theory — Incorrect. Eysenck reduced personality to broad dimensions: neuroticism vs. emotional stability and extraversion vs. introversion, later adding psychoticism vs. sociability.

Option (3) Rogers’s idea of fully functioning personality — Incorrect. Rogers’ humanistic idea is that a fully functioning person expresses her/his capabilities to the fullest; it rests on the real self and the ideal self, not on self-efficacy.

Option (4) Bandura’s social learning theory — Correct. Self-efficacy is a person’s belief that she or he has the ability or behaviours a situation requires. The notion is based on Bandura’s social learning theory: Bandura found that people learn by observing and imitating others, and that their expectations of mastery and convictions about their own effectiveness decide what they attempt.

Note 1: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2026 on 29-05-2026 (Slot 2).

Note 2: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2022 on 16-07-2022 (Slot 1), in CUET (UG) 2023 on 22-06-2023 (Slot 3), and in CUET (UG) 2025 on 20-05-2025 (Slot 1).

NCERT (2025-26): “Self-efficacy … Self-efficacy is another important aspect of our self. People differ in the extent to which they believe they themselves control their life outcomes or the outcomes are controlled by luck or fate or other situational factors, e.g. passing an examination. A person who believes that s/he has the ability or behaviours required by a particular situation demonstrates high self-efficacy. The notion of self-efficacy is based on Bandura’s social lear ning theory. Bandura’s initial studies showed that children and adults learned behaviour by observing and imitating others. People’s expectations of mastery or achievement and their convictions about their own effectiveness also determine the types of behaviour in which they would engage, as also the amount of risk they would undertake.…”