Definition
Self-confidence refers to “people’s sense of competence and skill, their perceived capability to deal effectively with various situations” (Shrauger & Schohn, 1995, p. 256).
Description
In confidence research, two trends can be distinguished. Within one trend confidence is viewed as “certainty in being able to handle something” (Stajkovic, 2006, p. 1208). The other trend focuses on the accuracy of judgments about a perception or an outcome.
Confidence as “Certainty in Being Able to Handle Something”
Being defined as “people’s sense of competence and skill, their perceived capability to deal effectively with various situations” (Shrauger & Schohn, 1995, p. 256), self-confidence appears to be an evaluative component of self-concept, a person’s cognitive representationof herself or himself. Even though the cognitive nature of self-confidence is emphasized, some literature, nonetheless, suggest that self-confidence...
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: Freeman.
Cramer, R. J., Neal, T. M. S., & Brodsky, S. L. (2009). Self-efficacy and confidence: Theoretical distinctions and implications for trial consultation. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 61, 319–334.
Erev, I., Wallsten, T. S., & Budescu, D. V. (1994). Simultaneous over- and underconfidence: The role of error in judgment process. Psychological Review, 101, 519–527.
Gigerenzer, G., Hoffrage, U., & Kleinbölting, H. (1991). Probabilistic mental models: A Brunswikian theory of confidence. Psychological Review, 98, 506–528.
Glazer, M., & Weber, M. (2007). Overconfidence and trading volume. Geneva Risk and Insurance Review, 32, 1–36.
Judge, T. A., & Bono, J. E. (2001). Relationship of core self-evaluations traits—self-esteem, generalized self-efficacy, locus of control, and emotional stability—with job satisfaction and job performance: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86, 80–92.
Koellinger, P., Minniti, M., & Schade, C. (2007). I think I can, I think I can—Overconfidence and entrepreneurial behaviour. Journal of Economic Psychology, 28(4), 502–527.
Lerner, J. S., Gonzalez, R. M., Small, D. A., & Fischhoff, B. (2003). Effects of fear and anger o perceived risks of terrorism: A national field experiment. Psychological Science, 14, 144–150.
Malmendier, U., & Tate, G. (2005). CEO overconfidence and corporate investment. Journal of Finance, 60(6), 2661–2700.
Moore, D. A., & Healy, P. J. (2008). The trouble with overconfidence. Psychological Review, 115, 502–517.
Sheier, M. F., & Carver, C. S. (1992). Effect of optimism on psychological and physical well-being: Theoretical overview and empirical update. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 16, 201–228.
Shrauger, J. S. (1972). Self-esteem and reactions to being observed by others. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 23, 192–200.
Shrauger, J. S., & Schohn, M. (1995). Self-confidence in college students: Conceptualization measurement, and behavioral implications. Assessment, 2, 255–278.
Slovic, P. (Ed.) (2001). Smoking: Risk, perception, and policy. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Sporer, S. L., Pnrod, S., Read, D., & Cutler, B. (1995). Choosing, confidence, and accuracy: A meta-analysis of the confidence-accuracy relation in eyewitness identification studies. Psychological Bulletin, 118(3), 315–327.
Stajkovic, A. D. (2006). Development of a core confidence-higher order construct. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91, 1208–1224.
Stajkovic, A. D., & Luthans, F. (1998). Self-efficacy and work-related performance: A metaanalysis. Psychological Bulletin, 124, 240–261.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this entry
Cite this entry
Uglanova, E. (2014). Self-Confidence. In: Michalos, A.C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_2624
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_2624
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-0752-8
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-0753-5
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and Law