How future work self affects self-efficacy mechanisms in novel task performance: Applying the anchoring heuristic under uncertainty

Abstract

The present study addressed the role of individuals' future work self in self-efficacy judgments in novel, challenging activity by examining the effect of activating the future work self on judging self-efficacy under anchoring effects and the relationship between self-efficacy judgments and performance. As predicted, the results show that compared with a neutral condition, activating future work selves led participants to estimate higher self-efficacy in response to anchoring bias, which in turn resulted higher performance. Furthermore, when participants' future work self was activated, the degree to which participants perceived a novel task as meaningful predicted self-efficacy judgments, which in turn had a strong relationship with performance. However, these relationships were not significant in a neutral condition. These findings indicate that individuals' future work self plays an important role in self-efficacy mechanisms by enhancing self-efficacy beliefs that serve individuals' desires in novel settings.