A Commentary on the Relationship between Self-efficacy, Problem-focused Coping and Performance
Self-efficacy influences self-regulatory cognition and behaviour, including the way we approach and cope with problems and how we perform tasks. In this paper I examined the construct of self-efficacy and the strongly related variables of coping and performance to better understand how self-efficacy works at a fundamental level. I briefly reviewed some key concepts, measures and methods used in the study of self-efficacy, commenting on potentially important and understudied differences in coping styles that may influence self-efficacy. Specifically, problem-focused coping was the main coping strategy in the literature that had a positive correlation with both self-efficacy and performance. Lastly, I present some ideas for future research toward more understanding of the development of self-efficacy and its contributing factors.