Wikipedia
Self-efficacy is the extent or strength of one's belief in one's own ability to complete tasks and reach goals. Psychologists have studied self-efficacy from several perspectives, noting various paths in the development of self-efficacy; the dynamics of self-efficacy, and lack thereof, in many different settings; interactions between self-efficacy and self-concept; and habits of attribution that contribute to, or detract from, self-efficacy.
This can be seen as the ability to persist and a person's ability to succeed with a task. As an example, self-efficacy directly relates to how long someone will stick to a workout regimen or a diet. High and low self-efficacy determine whether or not someone will choose to take on a challenging task or "write it off" as impossible.
Self-efficacy affects every area of human endeavor. By determining the beliefs a person holds regarding his or her power to affect situations, it strongly influences both the power a person actually has to face challenges competently and the choices a person is most likely to make. These effects are particularly apparent, and compelling, with regard to behaviors affecting health.
Judge et al. (2002) argued the concepts of locus of control, neuroticism, generalized self-efficacy (which differs from Bandura's theory of self-efficacy) and self-esteem measured the same, single factor and demonstrated them to be related concepts.
Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control is a book on scientific psychology written by Albert Bandura. The book was originally published in the United States in 1997. Translations have been published in Chinese, French, Italian, and Korean.
As its title suggests the book focuses on the various aspects of self-efficacy, i.e. a person's belief in their own competence. The book addresses issues ranging from theoretical discussions to developmental analyses.
The book has been reviewed and discussed in several professional social science journals, and widely cited in the professional literatures of psychology, sociology, medicine, and management.