Self-efficacy is defined as:

• A. Confidence in one's ability to complete tasks and reach goals
• B. External motivation
• C. Perceived social support
• D. Level of knowledge about a topic

Answer: (A)

Self-efficacy is the belief in your own ability to organize, plan, and carry out the actions needed to complete tasks and reach goals. This internal confidence shapes how you approach challenges, how much effort you invest, how long you persist when obstacles appear, and how you recover from setbacks. In nursing practice, higher self-efficacy helps patients stick to treatment plans, manage symptoms, and adopt healthy behaviors because they trust they can perform the required tasks successfully.

External motivation depends on rewards or pressures from outside the person, not on their belief in their own capabilities. Perceived social support is about the availability of help from others, which can influence behavior but isn’t the same as believing you can do it. Knowledge level is about how much information someone has, not about their confidence in performing tasks.