SELF-EFFICACY AND MASTERY - ITS APPLICATION TO ISSUES OF ENVIRONMENTAL-CONTROL, COGNITION, AND AGING

A selective review of the literature relevant to Bandura's theory of self-efficacy emphasizes studies where mastery experiences are used with adult populations to promote self-efficacy. This review evaluates and upholds the theory and provides evidence for the need to extend self-efficacy theory to elderly populations: some of the environments of older adults provide experiences that encourage dependence and discourage mastery, thereby reducing opportunities for mastery, thus reducing feelings of personal control and self-efficacy, particularly in the domain of memory. The behavioral consequences of such reduced efficacy are discussed, and a model is proposed to represent some mechanisms of age-related declines in cognitive self-efficacy in later life. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.