PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE AND PHYSICAL SELF-EFFICACY IN THE ELDERLY - A PILOT-STUDY

This study examined the relationship between physical performance and physical self-efficacy beliefs in older adults. It was hypothesized th at subjects who perform better on physical tasks would show more posit ive beliefs of physical self-efficacy. Information was obtained from 1 24 subjects (61 men and 63 women) aged 55 to 85 years. Tests of mobili ty, strength, and dexterity were administered, as well as a self-repor t questionnaire of physical self-efficacy. Although most physical perf ormance indexes were observed to be at lower levels after 75 years of age, physical self-efficacy beliefs in women did not show this pattern if the drop in physical performance was relatively small. Male subjec ts in the age group of 75 years and older however, showed substantial lower levels of performance in most of the tests, which was associated with more negative beliefs of physical self-efficacy. This was corrob orated by multiple regression analyses, showing that sex was a signifi cant predictor of physical self-efficacy beliefs in most performance t ests. This prediction was moderated by age such that older men had mor e negative beliefs of physical self-efficacy than older women.