They perceive their self-worth mainly in connection with those achievements and their confidence in social situations is largely dependent on the knowledge that others recognize them for those attributes (Branden, 2007).
The Shift from False Confidence to Self-Efficacy
I experienced a period during my later childhood and adolescence where I now realize I had substituted unjustified fears and apprehensions with unjustified confidence and positive beliefs about myself that exceeded my actual abilities. My parents meant to instill in me a sense of self-esteem by inflating my self-image. However, in doing so, they actually infused me with what I have more recently learned to recognize as false confidence. Because I was taught to "be confident" I became equally confident in situations where I knew almost nothing as I was in situations where I deserved to be confident. On several occasions, I allowed myself to become argumentative even after realizing that I was wrong because I believed it was always good to "be confident."
Through my reading, I eventually came to realization that self-efficacy means that I should never lack the ability to face challenges, to take on new experiences, and to become confident...
On the other hand, I should not start out with the same level of confidence just as a personality trait (Aronson, Wilson, & Akert, 2008) or have any need to hide my lack of knowledge or ability. Therefore, I now strive to be someone who can learn anything I need to learn but who does not necessarily have to be the best (or even good) at everything just to prove to myself or to others that I am "enough." That represents, at least in my case, the transition from false self-esteem to self-efficacy.
References
Aronson, E., Wilson, T., and Akert, R. (2008). Social Psychology. New York:
Longman.
Branden, N. (2008). The Psychology of Self-Esteem. New York: Bantam.
Myers, D.G. (2010). Social Psychology. Boston: McGraw-Hill.
discuss how you perceive your interaction in the social world.
Describe one of the social worlds in which you interact, for example: family life, work, school, etc.
Explain how any significant event(s) or experience(s) created change for you in this social world.
Analyze how this has changed or supported your own self-efficacy.
