Self-Efficacy: Why belief shapes performance

Self-efficacy is one of the most critical factors impacting sports performance. Many sport psychology interventions aim to boost one's confidence in their abilities, making it an appropriate place to start building the foundation of psychological skills for athletes. Head (2019) defines self-efficacy as “the belief in one’s ability to execute certain actions to achieve a specific outcome.” This concept reflects a person's (in our case, an athlete's) ability to complete a specific task in a particular situation rather than their general confidence.

Bandura’s Four Sources of Self-Efficacy

Albert Bandura first proposed this theory in 1977, outlining four primary sources that shape an individual’s self-efficacy. Each one plays a meaningful role in athletic performance:

1. Mastery experiences
This is the most potent source of self-efficacy, involving an athlete completing a task. Every rep, drill, or set that an athlete performs strengthens their confidence to do it again and progress forward 

2. Vicarious experiences
When athletes watch an athlete at a similar skill level, such as a teammate, perform well, it often increases their belief in their ability to do it too.

3. Verbal persuasion
When athletes receive encouragement or cues for completion, often from coaches, teammates, and fans, they can temporarily raise their belief in their capabilities. 

4. Emotional and physiological states
Put simply, how an athlete feels and how they interpret these feelings, both physically and mentally, impacts their confidence. For example, one may interpret an increased heart rate before an event as either a positive, such as excitement and feeling “amped,” or as a negative in the form of pre-performance anxiety.

Why It Matters for Athletes

Because an athlete's belief in their ability to perform directly influences how they approach challenges, react under pressure, and translate their practiced skills to real performance environments. Research indicates that athletes with higher self-efficacy tend to perform more consistently and make more effective decisions under pressure (Lochbaum et al., 2023).

Simple, Actionable Ways to Build Self-Efficacy

Goal-Setting
Because mastery experiences are perhaps the most impactful source of self-efficacy, goal-setting (which will be covered in detail in a future post) is an excellent start for athletes looking to improve their confidence. By setting smaller, more achievable goals that build into their ultimate goal (good performances), athletes can give themselves more opportunities for success, which will provide them with more confidence in their ability to translate training into live performances.

Performance Cue Words
Another simple, evidence-backed mental skill is employing performance cue words. With this, athletes create short, simple phrases that help direct their attention to the task at hand. In place of long motivational speeches or complicated self-talk, athletes can choose two words that remind them what to do in the moment or bring them back to moments of success in the past. Cue words work because they keep the mind anchored to action, not doubt.

Control the Controllable
Finally, one of the most essential things for an athlete to remember is to control what they can control. So often, athletes let things they cannot control impact their mental focus, such as an official making a bad call. Rather than allowing things outside their control to impact their thoughts and decisions, athletes who can recenter their thoughts to present-focused, neutral thoughts (a key theme for a future post) can redirect their focus to effort, execution, and trust in the work they put into preparation. 

Together, these skills form the early “base” of psychological performance — helping athletes become more aware, more intentional, and more confident in their ability to perform.