What Is Task Self-Efficacy?

Gaston, Cramp, & Prapavessis (2012) created an intervention based on the Canadian Society of OBGYN’s recommendation for pregnant women to exercise for 30 minutes, 4 times a week. The intervention’s purpose was to examine whether persuasive messages, incorporated with self-efficacy building constructs, could alter pregnant women’s scheduling and task self-efficacy. Scheduling self-efficacy is the degree of confidence in being able to schedule exercise into one’s lifestyle. While task self-efficacy is the confidence to overcome barriers (Gaston et al., 2012). The participant’s initial self-efficacy was measured using a Likert scale. This intervention utilized all four constructs in the form of efficacy enhancing messages described by a
Although exercise can prevent obesity and types II diabetes, physical activity significantly declines during adolescence (Lee et al., 2011). The goal of this 12 week school-based intervention was to change the number of aerobic steps, increase cardiopulmonary endurance, and increase exercise self-efficacy. Exercise self-efficacy was measured using a five point Likert scale. The participants were instructed to complete 12,000 steps a day or complete 60 minutes of aerobic walking per day. All four constructs were utilized in this intervention, as described in Table 1, intervention 2. Lee et al. (2011) found that the self-efficacy theory and pedometers can be useful in promoting physical
The barriers in the intervention conducted by Gaston et al. (2012) was the pregnant women’s low efficacy in scheduling exercise into their routine due to barriers, such as their occupied work schedule and the tiring effects of pregnancy. Therefore, Gaston et al. equipped the women with exercise incorporating strategies to overcome perceived obstacles. Meanwhile, the barriers preventing the adolescent group from exercising may be their low efficacy to accomplish the walking goal or the student’s low efficacy in their ability to schedule walking due to their busy agenda (Lee et al., 2011). Therefore, Lee et al. (2011) enhanced efficacy through achievement and positive experiences. Lastly, Wu et al. (2014) found that women in Wuhan were unable to maintain breastfeeding exclusivity and duration as a result of the mother’s low efficacy to properly breastfeed her child, especially when challenged by social pressures. Therefore, Wu et al. focused on increasing the mother’s efficacy by providing knowledge and demonstrations for proper breastfeeding