Definition: Feeling confident that you can accomplish or master what you set out to accomplish or master.
Pronunciation: (self ef'-i-kuh-see)
Feeling confident that you can accomplish or master what you set out to accomplish or master. (Efficacy = capable of producing the desired effect)
Also: efficacious (ef'-i-kay-shus)
Example of use: Jonah has struggled with a learning disability for so long that his sense of self-efficacy is lacking in the classroom. [Though it's redundant, a lot of people say "sense of self-efficacy" rather than just "self-efficacy;" either is fine.]
Example: I'm looking for research on the most efficacious treatment for panic disorder comorbid with bipolar disorder.
"Self-efficacy" is one of the most "psychological" expressions I know. You hear it a lot when psychological professionals are talking about research trials, therapeutic interventions, and feelings of confidence in tackling goals or problems.
Clients with high self-efficacy tend to improve more quickly in therapy and carry what they've learned into other areas of their lives; people who have low self-efficacy often need to feel better about their ability to deal with things before they can actually do the dealing.
Several things affect how strong our feelings of self-efficacy are:
Children who have been bullied tend to have low self-efficacy, partly because every time the parent intervenes for the child, s/he lowers the child's sense of being able to deal with life's challenges on his or her own. Teaching children the tried-and-true methods or dealing with bullies (using humor, ignoring them, seeking help if it's bad) and then letting them deal with the problem shows them that you believe in their ability to cope with their own lives. It also teaches them that they can problem-solve and cope with all the bullies they'll face throughout the rest of their lives.