Scientific Definition
Belief in one's ability to execute.
Plain-English Definition
Belief in one's ability to execute.
Feynman Explanation
If they don't believe they can, they probably won't.
Core Principle
Belief in one's ability to execute.
Mechanisms
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Belief in one's ability to execute.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Inputs (Triggers)
Pending editorial review.
Outputs (Behaviors)
Pending editorial review.
Behavioral Signature
If they don't believe they can, they probably won't.
Examples
- Bandura's research across decades.
- Skill-building programs that explicitly cultivate self-efficacy.
Pending editorial review.
Famous Experiments
Pending editorial review.
Design Principles
- Small wins. Modeling. Verbal persuasion. Physiological awareness.
Measurement Approaches
Pending editorial review.
Evidence
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
The Perverse Incentive Lens™
How this behavior is exploited — and how to redesign around it.
- Small wins. Modeling. Verbal persuasion. Physiological awareness.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Interactive Mini Network
Click any neighbor to re-center the graph and follow the threads of connection.
Knowledge Graph Neighbors
Auto-linked to the rest of the Human Behavior Taxonomy by family, domain, dimension, and shared keywords.
Self-direction is one of the deepest motivational levers.
Doing something for an external reward.
Doing something because the doing is the reward.
The drive to get better at things that matter.
Adding external rewards reduces intrinsic motivation.
Meaning beyond the task multiplies motivation.
Humans need autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
Naming an emotion reduces its intensity.
Cumulative physiological wear from chronic stress.
Emotional override of rational processing.
Brain region tracking conflict, error, and effort.
We treat AI as more humanlike than it is.