ENHANCING OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE THROUGH AN UNDERSTANDING OF PERCEIVED SELF-EFFICACY

The construct of perceived self-efficacy, proposed to explain the disc repancy between skill and actual performance, has received widespread attention in the psychological and medical literature. This paper desc ribes the construct in detail, including the difference between self-e steem and perceived self-efficacy, and proposes a goodness of fit with occupational therapy practice. It is postulated that attention to the assessment and monitoring of perceived self-efficacy, along with the use of activities that closely approximate the actual activities to be performed in the community, will result in improved occupational perf ormance and thus, better occupational therapy outcomes. Occupational t herapists are challenged to identify and incorporate this construct in to their day-to-day clinical programs to enhance treatment outcomes.