Anchoring, Attributions, and Self-Efficacy: An Examination of Interactions

Abstract

This study addresses gaps in the current literature by examining hypotheses based on the integration of self-efficacy, anchoring, and attribution theory. A novel anchor, attributional feedback, was utilized after an initial performance episode, and its influence on self-efficacy judgments was examined. This study also tested the previously ignored mediating influence of attributional analysis on the relationship between performance and self-efficacy as well as the influence of different attributions on self-efficacy under conditions of both successful and unsuccessful performance. Findings of this research indicate that carefully structured feedback is crucial when discussing an individual's performance, as this feedback may influence the causal attributions that are made; moreover, it is through this attributional analysis that past performance affects judgments of self-efficacy.