In cognitive-behavioral therapy, self-efficacy is best described as:

• A. Belief in the ability to execute behaviors necessary to produce specific performance attainments.
• B. The therapist's assessment of a client's potential for change.
• C. A persistent mood state across situations.
• D. A general sense that life events are uncontrollable.

Answer: (A)

Self-efficacy is the belief in your ability to perform the specific behaviors needed to achieve a particular outcome. In CBT, this belief isn’t about global self-worth or mood; it’s task-specific. It influences whether you attempt a behavior, how much effort you put in, and how long you persist when things get tough.

The other ideas described don’t fit self-efficacy: a therapist’s assessment is an external judgment, not your own belief about your capabilities; a persistent mood state is about affect rather than action capability; and a general sense that life events are uncontrollable aligns with external locus of control, not with confidence in performing specific actions.