Self-Efficacy and College Student Satisfaction

Abstract

Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy has been used extensively for the study of behavior in a variety of settings. Researchers in the areas of vocational and academic behavior have focused primarily on performance and persistence as well as choices and interests. Less has been done looking at the relationships between self-efficacy beliefs and certain affective variables. The present study focused on the relationship between self-efficacy (i.e., college, social, and general) and college student satisfaction. A sample of 312 undergraduates was administered measures of self-efficacy and college satisfaction. All three measures of self-efficacy were significantly associated with college satisfaction. Regression analysis and analyses of variance revealed that college self-efficacy was significantly associated with college satisfaction, whereas the other two measures of self-efficacy (i.e., social and general) did not account for any unique, additional variance. Results are presented and discussed.