The effects of personal and competitive self-efficacy and differential outcome feedback on subsequent self-efficacy and performance

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among self-efficacy, expectations, performance, and competitive outcome, on a physical endurance task. The study identifies two types of self-efficacy: personal, i.e., expectations based on an internally derived standard of performance, and competitive, i.e., expectations based on a externally derived standard of performance. It was predicted that personal, but not competitive, self-efficacy would affect performance on the experimental task. On the other hand, competitive outcome feedback would significantly influence competitive, but not personal, self-efficacy. Seventy-two subjects possessing high or low personal self-efficacy for their ability on a leg-endurance task were randomly assigned to competitive self-efficacy and competitive outcome conditions. The subjects competed twice against a confederate in a manipulated contest of leg endurance such that the outcome paralleled the outcome condition to which they were assigned. Performance and competitive self-efficacy were measured following each trial. The results indicated that, as predicted, personal self-efficacy but not competitive self-efficacy was predictive of subsequent performance. In addition, competitive outcome feedback affected competitive self-efficacy. It was concluded that disparate types of self-efficacy, performance, and outcome information affect each other differentially.