The notion of self-efficacy is based on Bandura's ______.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Social learning theory
Option (1) Self instruction technique — Incorrect. Self-instruction, in which we instruct ourselves to do something and behave the way we want to, is a technique of self-control. It is a method of regulating behaviour, not the theory self-efficacy comes from.
Option (2) Trait theory — Incorrect. Trait theories, such as Allport’s and Cattell’s, describe personality in terms of stable traits like cardinal, central and secondary traits. They describe what traits a person has, not her or his belief in her or his own ability.
Option (3) 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.
Option (4) Interactional approach — Incorrect. The interactional approach holds that situational characteristics play an important role in deciding behaviour; people may act dependent or independent because of external rewards or threats in a situation. It explains behaviour by the situation, not by one’s belief in one’s own ability.
Note: 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) 2026 on 29-05-2026 (Slot 2) and 06-06-2026 (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 learning 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.…” |