Self-efficacy and the prediction of domain-specific cognitive abilities.
We evaluated predictors of performance in 4 specific cognitive ability domains: verbal, numerical, spatial, and mechanical. The predictors were individual differences in self-efficacy beliefs, self-enhancement tendencies, and cross-domain abilities. Our university students' beliefs about their verbal, numerical, and spatial capabilities correlated well with their actual performance on standardized tests (verbal r=.33, numerical r=.27, spatial r=.36). In contrast, the students' self-efficacy for mechanical tasks did relatively poorly in predicting mechanical test performance (r=.10). Most interesting were two other findings: (a) The best predictor of domain performance was level of cross-domain performance by far, even for mechanical tasks, and (b) self-enhancement tendencies added to cross-domain abilities and self-efficacy beliefs in the prediction of performance. The results are discussed in terms of possible mechanisms explaining how one's score on a maximal performance task can be affected by self-efficacy beliefs and self-enhancement tendencies.
Paunonen
Sampo V
SV
Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A5C2, Canada. paunonen@uwo.ca
Hong
Ryan Y
RY
D003071:Cognition; D003469:Culture; D006801:Humans; D008433:Mathematics; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012649:Self Concept; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013028:Space Perception