Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 27, 2026

A Task for Assessing the Impact of a Partner on the Speed and Accuracy of Motor Performance in Rats
Published on: October 17, 2019
Within-person relationship between self-efficacy and performance across trials: effect of task objective and task
Teri J Hepler1, Jason Ritchie2, Christopher R Hill3
1Department of Exercise and Sport Science, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, La Crosse, WI, USA - thepler@uwlax.edu.
Self-efficacy did not predict motor skill performance over time in sports, regardless of task type or objective. Past performance negatively influenced future performance, suggesting other factors may be more critical for skill development.
Area of Science:
- Sport Psychology
- Motor Learning
- Skill Acquisition
Background:
- Self-efficacy is a known predictor of between-person sport performance.
- Its influence on within-person performance over time remains unclear.
- This study examines self-efficacy's impact on motor skill performance across trials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how self-efficacy influences motor skill performance across multiple trials.
- To explore the effects of different task objectives (competitive vs. goal-striving) and task types (closed vs. open skill) on this relationship.
Main Methods:
- 84 participants completed dart throwing (closed) and hitting (open) tasks.
- Tasks were performed under competitive and goal-striving conditions.
- Hierarchical linear modeling analyzed within-person performance across trials.
Main Results:
- Previous performance negatively predicted subsequent performance in all conditions.
- Self-efficacy was not a significant predictor of performance across any tested condition.
- Task objective and task type did not moderate the self-efficacy-performance relationship.
Conclusions:
- Self-efficacy did not significantly predict motor skill performance within individuals across trials.
- Task characteristics did not alter the non-significant efficacy-performance link.
- Future research should explore other potential moderators of the efficacy-performance relationship.
More Related Videos
08:24The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies
Published on: August 25, 2023
06:45Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal
Published on: April 18, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Self-Efficacy
Sources of Self-Esteem II: Performance Feedback
Theory of Attribution II: Kelley's Covariation Theory
Self-Evaluation Maintenance Model
Self-Regulation
Self-Discrepancy Theory