Magnitude: An important dimension of self-efficacy

According to Bandura (1977a, 1977b), self-efficacy for a particular task va ries along 3 dimensions: magnitude, strength, and generality. Although the magnitude of a task influences one's degree of self-efficacy, researchers h ave seldom tapped this dimension. We explicitly examined the magnitude dime nsion, and whether magnitude and confidence represent operationally distinc t dimensions. A sample of undergraduates (n = 221) rated how confident they were that they could perform 22 behaviors comprising 3 domains of protecti ve sexual behaviors (refusing sexual intercourse, questioning potential sex ual partners, using condoms). Each participant also rank-ordered the diffic ulty of performing each item within each domain. Data analyses revealed con siderable overlap between the dimensions of confidence and magnitude, but a lso substantial differences. Thus, researchers may want to include this dim ension when including self-efficacy.