Academic Self-Efficacy and Malleability of Relevant Capabilities as Predictors of Exam Performance

In accordance with Wood and Locke's (1987) findings, the 1st study was based on the prediction that academic self-efficacy (ASE) and personal goals of psychology freshmen (N = 438) would contribute to exam performance. Although the results supported this prediction, they were less strong than those of Wood and Locke. The timing of the ASE measurement appeared to be relevant. In the 2nd study, the authors predicted that self-efficacy appraisals, together with beliefs concerning the malleability of ability, would influence exam performance and the attribution of failure to lack of talent. The participants with high self-efficacy appraisals and strong malleability beliefs ascribed failure less to lack of talent than those with low self-efficacy appraisals and weak malleability beliefs did. This difference occurred between participants with high and low intelligence. Differences between the exam scores occurred only in the high-intelligence group: The exam performance of the participants with high self-efficacy appraisals and strong malleability beliefs was better than that of the participants with low self-efficacy appraisals and weak malleability beliefs.