Cognitive Assessment of the Sources of Mathematics Self-Efficacy: A Thought-Listing Analysis

Abstract

This study explored the sources of information that students employ in appraising their mathematics self-efficacy. Responding to a thought-listing questionnaire, 103 college students cited personal performance experiences (e.g., past successes) as the most common, and most influential, basis for their efficacy beliefs. Other theory- derived efficacy sources (e.g., vicarious learning) were mentioned much less often. Several response categories emerged, such as interest and effort considerations, that may reflect the heuristics that students enlist to estimate their academic capabilities under varying motivational or contextual conditions. Few gender differences appeared in the efficacy source listings, though women tended to cite physiological reactions and teaching quality considerations more often than did men. These findings offer a methodological complement to research using more traditional, psychometric measures of the sources of self-efficacy. Implications for research, as well as for educational and career interventions, are discussed.

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