Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 7, 2026
10:58
Multimedia Battery for Assessment of Cognitive and Basic Skills in Mathematics (BM-PROMA)
Published on: August 28, 2021
Validity of self-efficacy scale scores for a Spanish sample
Francisca López-Torrecillas1, Juan García, Guillermo A Cañadas
1Departamento de Personalidad, Evaluación y Tratamiento Psicológico, Instituto de Neurociencias Dr. Oloriz, Universidad de Granada, España. fcalopez@ugr.es
Psychological Reports
|June 27, 2006
Summary
The Sherer Self-efficacy Scale demonstrates high reliability and validity in Spanish populations, including clinical groups. Its scores correlate with self-control and assertiveness, supporting its clinical and research utility.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Psychometrics
Background:
- Self-efficacy is a key psychological construct influencing behavior and well-being.
- Assessing self-efficacy accurately is crucial for both clinical practice and research.
- The Sherer, et al. Self-efficacy Scale is a widely used measure, but its psychometric properties require validation in diverse linguistic and cultural contexts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the validity and reliability of the Sherer, et al. Self-efficacy Scale in a Spanish sample.
- To examine the scale's factor structure and its correlations with other psychological measures.
- To determine if the scale can differentiate between general population and clinical groups.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 555 Spanish subjects (general population and clinical groups: schizophrenia, eating disorders, drug addiction) was recruited.
- Participants completed the Sherer, et al. Self-efficacy Scale, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Assertiveness Inventory, and Self-control Questionnaire.
- Statistical analyses including reliability, factor analysis, and correlational analyses were performed.
Main Results:
- The Self-efficacy Scale demonstrated high reliability for total scores and the general factor, even with low social self-efficacy.
- A bidimensional factor structure was found to be more acceptable than a unidimensional one.
- Self-efficacy scores significantly correlated with self-control and assertiveness.
- Personality and anxiety measures showed expected correlations with specific scale dimensions.
- Significant mean differences were observed between the general population and clinical groups.
Conclusions:
- The Sherer, et al. Self-efficacy Scale is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing self-efficacy in Spanish populations.
- The scale's findings support its utility in clinical practice and research involving Spanish individuals.
- The study highlights the importance of cultural and linguistic adaptation in psychological assessment tools.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Self-Efficacy
Self-efficacy is the belief in one's capacity to organize and execute actions necessary to manage prospective situations. This belief significantly influences how individuals approach goals, tasks, and challenges across different domains of life.Psychological and Educational ImpactsIndividuals with strong self-efficacy are more resilient in the face of difficulties. They are more likely to adopt effective problem-solving strategies, persist through obstacles, and regulate emotions such as...
01:24Sources of Self-Esteem II: Performance Feedback
Self-esteem is intricately tied to our perception of competence and our ability to exert control over our lives. One of the primary sources of this perception is performance feedback — the ongoing evaluation of our actions in terms of success and failure. According to Franks and Marolla (1976), people derive self-worth from experiencing themselves as causal agents, capable of achieving goals and overcoming obstacles. This process nurtures a critical component of self-esteem: self-efficacy,...
01:28Self-Esteem
Self-esteem, a core aspect of psychological well-being, reflects an individual's positive and negative self-evaluation in terms of worth, competence, and overall value. It is both a stable trait and a dynamic process, influenced by experiences and social interactions across the lifespan. While global self-esteem offers a general assessment, research highlights that self-esteem is multidimensional and varies across specific life domains.Domain-Specific Self-EsteemResearchers have delineated...
02:45Self-Discrepancy Theory
One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.
01:22Self-Report Tests of Personality
Self-report inventories are objective personality assessments that use multiple-choice items or numbered scales, typically ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). They are often called Likert scales after Rensis Likert. These inventories are widely used due to their ease of administration and cost-effectiveness. One of the most prominent examples is the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), initially developed in the 1940s to assess abnormal personality traits.
01:27Sources of Self-Esteem III: Social Comparison
Social comparison plays a fundamental role in the evaluation of personal success and self-worth. Rather than assessing our achievements in isolation, we interpret their significance relative to personal goals and critically in comparison to the performance of others. A grade of B in a mathematics exam might elicit pride if one's expectation was a C, yet result in disappointment if an A was anticipated or if peers achieved superior results. These comparative evaluations illustrate how both...