Snakes and Self-Efficacy

One popular story in psychology tells how world famous Stanford Professor Albert Bandura was once watching people learn how to handle snakes. He noticed that some people could learn the technique (grab them by the back of the neck) while practicing with toy reptiles then use that procedure on a real snake. Others, however, could do just fine with the toy version, but when it came to the live ones, they froze and couldn't pick them up.

The difference? Both groups of would-be handlers learned the proper technique, but only the successful ones believed that they could use it on a live crawler. He called that combination of know-how and personal confidence that you can use that knowledge "self-efficacy." Bandura then spent the next half century studying

the power of self-efficacy, turning it into one of the best known concepts in modern psychology.

IS THIS YOU?

Column

Pixie Dust and Self-Efficacy

In school, similar differences often appear. Some students believe that if they study and learn, they will be able to increase their capacity in math, science, reading, music, or whatever subject. Others may know the same study techniques, but they don't believe that their efforts will enable them to progress. So they don't even try.

It's a little like the pixie dust in Peter Pan. You have to believe before it will work. But notice self-efficacy has two parts in this version. You must learn the right study techniques. If you grab the snake by the tail, it will curl around and bite you. But you must also believe that you can expand your basic abilities with the right kind of practice.

Column

Taking the Right Road

But you don't have to guess what will work and what won't. Researchers have discovered a great deal about what kinds of effort help you learn and what doesn't. That can make a big difference. Basketball player, Michael Jordan, put it this way, "You can practice shooting eight hours a day,but if your technique is wrong, then all you become is very good at shooting the wrong way."

Or to put it another, if you take the wrong road, you won't get there, no matter how well you drive.

Column

Practice with the Right Stuff

In the weeks ahead, we'll share some of those good techniques with you. In the meantime, if you're not good at something (say,writing or doing math), keep saying, "I haven't learned that yet." With the right practice, you will. Believe. High levels of self-efficacy really make a big difference. You may never fly through the air like Peter Pan did, but you can come to learn some pretty amazing stuff.