Self Efficacy Younger children attribute success to effort while older children attribute success to ability. Many people have argued that this is related to the manner in which children are educated in most public schools. An individuals sense of self-efficacy is related to their history of success. Not surprisingly, individuals who have enjoyed a history of success tend to have increasing levels of efficacy, while individuals who do not enjoy success have a decreasing sense of efficacy over time. Low self-efficacy is very problematic and tends to lead to behaviors which may further impair efficacy.
Many students believe that ability is uncontrollable and stable.
This belief leads to a numebr of undesireable outcomes. Because outcomes are seen as related to ability rather than effort, many people may decrease their effort, ensuring a less successful result.