How can you use theories to build your confidence and achieve your goals?

1 Self-efficacy theory

Self-efficacy is the belief that you have the ability to perform a specific task or achieve a certain outcome. According to self-efficacy theory, developed by psychologist Albert Bandura, your self-efficacy influences your motivation, effort, perseverance, and resilience. To increase your self-efficacy, you can use four sources of information: mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion, and physiological feedback. Mastery experiences are the most powerful, as they involve successfully completing a task or overcoming a challenge. Vicarious experiences are when you observe someone else who is similar to you doing something well. Verbal persuasion is when you receive positive feedback or encouragement from others. Physiological feedback is when you pay attention to your body signals, such as your heart rate, breathing, or muscle tension, and learn to manage them.

3 Attribution theory

Attribution theory is the study of how people explain the causes of their own and others' behavior and outcomes. According to attribution theory, your attributions affect your emotions, expectations, and self-esteem. There are two main dimensions of attributions: internal vs external and stable vs unstable. Internal attributions are when you attribute your behavior or outcome to something within yourself, such as your personality, ability, or effort. External attributions are when you attribute your behavior or outcome to something outside yourself, such as the situation, luck, or others. Stable attributions are when you believe that the cause of your behavior or outcome is consistent and unlikely to change. Unstable attributions are when you believe that the cause of your behavior or outcome is variable and likely to change. To use attribution theory to boost your confidence, you can make more internal and stable attributions for your successes, and more external and unstable attributions for your failures.

4 Self-determination theory

Self-determination theory is a framework that explains how people's intrinsic and extrinsic motivation affect their behavior and well-being. According to self-determination theory, developed by psychologists Edward Deci and Richard Ryan, there are three basic psychological needs that drive human behavior: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Autonomy is the need to feel that you have control over your own actions and decisions. Competence is the need to feel that you have the skills and abilities to achieve your goals. Relatedness is the need to feel that you belong and connect with others. To use self-determination theory to build your confidence, you can seek opportunities that satisfy these needs, such as choosing activities that interest you, challenging yourself to learn new things, and finding supportive and meaningful relationships.