Self-Efficacy:

Abstract

This article examines Forsyth and Leary's seven interfaces of social and counseling psychology from the perspective of social cognitive theory. In each interface domain, the authors consider ways in which social cognitive inquiry (and self-efficacy research in particular) can be brought to bear on topics of mutual concern to social and counseling psychology. They also examine social cognitive theory as a unifying framework for bridging counseling and social psychology and other subdisciplines that share an interest in issues of health promotion, optimal adjustment, and psychological change mechanisms. Social cognitive theory's explicit concern with the interplay of social and cognitive factors may provide a fulcrum for rapprochement among psychological branches that have historically favored either intrapersonal or interpersonal accounts of human functioning. The theory's emphasis on personal agency and its application to many counseling-relevant problems may also help to bridge the gap between psychological researchers and practitioners.