Enhancing our conceptual understanding of state and trait self-efficacy by correlational analysis of four self-efficacy scales in people with spinal cord injury

Self-efficacy, the belief in one's ability to succeed in specific tasks, is crucial for adjustment after spinal cord injury (SCI). Different types of self-efficacy, like general, domain-specific, and task-specific, are often studied. This study compares four self-efficacy scales to understand how they relate to each other in SCI patients. The scales measure general, domain-specific, and task-specific self-efficacy. The research found that the scales, despite aiming to measure different aspects of self-efficacy, might be measuring a common underlying factor, possibly general self-efficacy.

• 1
  Scales measuring similar aspects of self-efficacy (general, domain-specific, or task-specific) showed strong inter-correlations, supporting the initial hypotheses.
• 2
  Contrary to the hypotheses, scales measuring different aspects of self-efficacy also showed strong correlations, suggesting a common underlying construct.
• 3
  The study suggests that current self-efficacy scales may primarily measure general self-efficacy rather than the intended specific aspects (domain or task-specific).