Mastery experiences
- Think of something you do really well
- It could be beyond what you do at university e.g. your life at home or at work.
- You might see this as a very small skill.
- Are you good at keeping in touch with friends?
- Do you reliably turn up to appointments?
- Do you know how to dress in a stylish way?
- Are you good at DIY or decorating?
Questions
- Did this skill happen instantly?
- Did you have to work at it and build your self-belief that you could do it well?
- How can you apply this to your life at University?
Vicarious experience
Observing a peer succeed at a task can strengthen beliefs in one's own abilities.
- Write down an experience when you've seen someone else learn to do something well.
- It could be beyond your studies.
- Is there someone in your family who has become very skilful at something?
- Can they play a musical instrument?
- Are they a good cook?
- Have you seen one of your friends play well at sport?
Questions
- What did you learn from watching someone else do something well?
- Did they succeed every time?
- What did they learn from bad experiences?
- Did it change their desire to continue the skill?
Verbal persuasion
- Think back to a time when you've received encouragement.
- Picture the person in your mind. What did they say to boost your self-belief?
Questions
- Did your self-belief change because someone encouraged you?
- What could you learn from them that you tell yourself when things are not going as well as expected?
Emotional state
A positive mood can boost your self-belief, while anxiety can undermine it.
Think back to a time when you handled a stressful situation well.
- Perhaps you did well in a test or an exam?
- Did you help someone who was going through a difficult time?
Questions
- How did this positive mood influence what you believe about yourself?
- How can you draw on the memory of this positive mood when things are not going well?
Adapted from: SERC, Carleton College (2020) Self-Efficacy: Helping Students Believe in Themselves. Available at: https://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/affective/efficacy.html (Accessed: 14 May 2020)
