Self-limiting behavior in women - Self-esteem and self-efficacy as predictors

Research suggests that some women may be reluctant to pursue certain tasks because they lack confidence in their ability to succeed. This study was an exploration of the basis of this type of self-limiting behavior. Global se lf-esteem and task-specific self-efficacy were used as predictors of task c hoice and task preference. Results suggested that task-specific self-effica cy was a stronger predictor of whether a woman would choose a leadership ta sk rather than a group-member task. In addition, task-specific self-efficac y predicted the strength of the woman's preference for the group-member tas k. The implications of this finding and recommendations for shifting task-s pecific self-efficacy for leadership roles are discussed.