Final answer:
Self-efficacy is an individual's belief in their own capability to complete a task, which motivates behavior and influences future goal-setting.
Step-by-step explanation:
Self-efficacy is an individual's belief in their own capability to complete a task, which may include a previous successful completion of the exact task or a similar task. Albert Bandura (1994) theorized that an individual's sense of self-efficacy plays a pivotal role in motivating behavior.
Bandura argues that motivation derives from expectations that we have about the consequences of our behaviors, and ultimately, it is the appreciation of our capacity to engage in a given behavior that will determine what we do and the future goals that we set for ourselves.
For example, if you have a sincere belief in your ability to achieve at the highest level, you are more likely to take on challenging tasks and to not let setbacks dissuade you from seeing the task through to the end.