Understanding Persistence: An Interface of Control Theory and Self-Efficacy Theory

Abstract

Two current views of behavioral self-regulation (self-efficacy theory and control theory) were tested in a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design. Ninety-six undergraduate students were exposed to high and low levels of three between-subjects variables: self-efficacy expectancy, outcome expectancy, and degree of self-awareness. Following an extreme failure on an initial performance task, individuals' persistence on a second, insoluble task was assessed. Results indicated that self-efficacy expectancies were the best predictor of persistence. Unexpectedly, heightened self-awareness did not enhance the saliency of self-efficacy expectancies or outcome expectancies as control theory would predict. Indeed, it was when subjects were not self-aware that high and low outcome expectancies differentially affected persistence. It was suggested that following failure, heightened self-awareness leads to a greater cognizance of negative affect than to relevant expectancies for performance. It is this negative affect, which precludes the formation of an outcome expectancy, that influences behavior. Based on these findings, a revision of control theory was proposed.