Research in Bandura’s Theory

Bandura favors well-controlled laboratory investigations in the rigorous tradition of experimental psychology. Bandura used large study groups and his research participants are selected and have shown diverse behavioral disorders, such as phobias, alcoholism, fetishism, and sexual dysfunctions. The ages of the research participants range from preschool through adult.

Self-Efficacy
Age and gender differences
In research, self-efficacy differs as a function of gender and age. Men score higher than women in self-efficacy, but this declines in later years. For age, self-efficacy increases through the life span and then declines after age 60 (Gecas, 1989; Lachman, 1985).

Physical appearance
People with good physical appearance score high in self-efficacy. A study of 210 adult men and women ages 25–76 showed that physical appearance had a greater effect on their feelings of being in control of their lives than did their level of self-esteem or their health (Andreoletti, Zebrowitz, & Lachman, 2001).

Academic performance.
Research demonstrates a significant positive relationship between self-efficacy and academic performance. Teachers with a high degree of self-efficacy or confidence in their teaching abilities create more opportunities for their students to achieve at a high level. Self-efficacy in students is also positively related to motivation, level of effort, and persistence in classroom situations (Gibson & Dembo, 1984)

Career choice and job performance
Gender differences in self-efficacy can influence our choice of career. Research has shown that men perceive themselves to be high in self-efficacy for so-called traditional “male” as well as traditional “female” occupations (Hackett, 1995).

Physical health
Self-efficacy also affects several aspects of physical well-being. In one study, pregnant women who had been taught relaxation and breathing exercises to reduce pain during childbirth believed they had greater control over that pain than did women who had not been taught relaxation techniques (Manning & Wright, 1983).

Mental health
In mental health issues, those with low self-efficacy rate high in depression, while enhanced self-efficacy and a sense of control over life events are positively related to the ability to cope with stress and to minimize its harmful effects on biological functioning.

Collective Efficacy
A group of people working together in a common enterprise to achieve common goals may develop a sense of collective efficacy. Bandura and many other researchers have demonstrated convincingly that in laboratory situations and in the real world, seeing violence begets violence whether on television, in movies, or in our homes, streets, and schools.