Subtopic Deep Dive

Self-Efficacy in Problem Solving and Decision Making
Research Guide

What is Self-Efficacy in Problem Solving and Decision Making?

Self-Efficacy in Problem Solving and Decision Making examines how individuals' confidence in their problem-solving abilities influences task initiation, persistence, and outcomes in academic, career, and health contexts.

Bandura's self-efficacy theory underpins this subtopic, linking perceived competence to problem-solving performance (Bandura, 1977). Studies develop scales measuring self-efficacy in decision-making and test interventions like training programs. Over 10 key papers from 1999-2021, with 81-144 citations each, focus on nursing students, cancer patients, and high schoolers.

Curated Papers

Key Challenges

Why It Matters

Enhancing self-efficacy improves clinical decision-making in nursing, as shown by Hwang and Oh (2021) where it mediated self-directed learning and problem-solving (117 citations). In career choices, Flores et al. (2006) found problem-solving appraisal and self-efficacy predicted educational goals for Mexican American students (126 citations). Health applications include stress reduction in breast cancer patients via problem-solving approaches (Allen et al., 2002, 144 citations) and chronic pain management through self-appraised problem-solving (Kerns et al., 2002, 97 citations).

Key Research Challenges

Measuring Self-Efficacy Accurately

Scales often conflate self-efficacy with general confidence, complicating isolation of problem-solving effects. Flores et al. (2006) used career decision-making self-efficacy measures but noted cultural biases in appraisals (126 citations). Validating domain-specific tools remains inconsistent across studies.

Causal Links to Performance

Longitudinal evidence linking self-efficacy boosts to sustained problem-solving gains is sparse. Hwang and Oh (2021) showed mediation in nursing but called for intervention trials (117 citations). Confounding factors like prior skills obscure causality.

Intervention Scalability

Programs like ASMP build self-management but face access barriers in non-clinical settings (Barlow, 1999, 94 citations). Ahmady and Shahbazi (2020) trained nursing students on social problem-solving, yet group formats limit individualization (91 citations). Adapting to diverse populations challenges broad implementation.

Essential Papers

A problem‐solving approach to stress reduction among younger women with breast carcinoma

Susan Allen, Ann Shah, Arthur M. Nezu et al. · 2002 · Cancer · 144 citations

Abstract BACKGROUND Previous research indicates that younger women (i.e., ≤ 50) with breast carcinoma experience greater emotional distress than older women (i.e., > 50) and that coping style is...

The relation of acculturation, problem-solving appraisal, and career decision-making self-efficacy to Mexican American high school students' educational goals.

Lisa Y. Flores, Lizette Ojeda, Yuping Huang et al. · 2006 · Journal of Counseling Psychology · 126 citations

This study examined the contributions of acculturation, problem-solving appraisal, and career decisionmaking self-efficacy on 105 Mexican American high school students’ educational goals. A standar...

The Relationship between Self-Directed Learning and Problem-Solving Ability: The Mediating Role of Academic Self-Efficacy and Self-Regulated Learning among Nursing Students

Young Hui Hwang, Jihyun Oh · 2021 · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · 117 citations

Problem-solving ability is necessary for the clinical reasoning and decision-making of nurses to solve patients’ health problems. This study aims to investigate the association between self-directe...

The Influence of Transformational Teacher Leadership on Academic Motivation and Resilience, Burnout and Academic Performance

Rubén Trigueros, Ana Padilla, José M. Aguilar-Parra et al. · 2020 · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · 110 citations

Currently, the university failure rate is around 33% of students starting their studies. Among the main reasons are demanding academic situations and the use of inappropriate coping strategies. The...

Olympic and international level sports coaches’ experiences of stressors, appraisals, and coping

Faye F. Didymus · 2016 · Qualitative Research in Sport Exercise and Health · 98 citations

The aim of this study was to use the cognitive-motivational-relational theory (CMRT) of stress and emotions as a lens to explore psychological stress with Olympic and international level sports coa...

Self-appraised problem solving and pain-relevant social support as predictors of the experience of chronic pain

Robert D. Kerns, Roberta Rosenberg, John D. Otis · 2002 · Annals of Behavioral Medicine · 97 citations

The purpose of this study was to examine the contributions of self-appraised problem-solving competence and pain-relevant social support to the prediction of pain, depression, and disability. The 2...

`Instilling the strength to fight the pain and get on with life': learning to become an arthritis self-manager through an adult education programme

J. H. Barlow · 1999 · Health Education Research · 94 citations

The aim of this study was to determine whether the Arthritis Self-Management Programme (ASMP) is effective in promoting perceived control and self-management ability when delivered in an adult educ...

Reading Guide

Foundational Papers

Start with Allen et al. (2002, 144 citations) for problem-solving interventions in health stress and Flores et al. (2006, 126 citations) for self-efficacy in career decisions, as they establish core links to performance outcomes.

Recent Advances

Study Hwang and Oh (2021, 117 citations) for nursing mediation models and Trigueros et al. (2020, 110 citations) for leadership influences on resilience via self-efficacy.

Core Methods

Core techniques include regression analysis of self-efficacy scales (Flores et al., 2006), pre-post intervention designs (Barlow, 1999), and mediation modeling (Hwang and Oh, 2021).

How PapersFlow Helps You Research Self-Efficacy in Problem Solving and Decision Making

Discover & Search

Research Agent uses searchPapers with query 'self-efficacy problem-solving nursing students' to retrieve Hwang and Oh (2021), then citationGraph reveals 117 citing papers on mediation effects, and findSimilarPapers uncovers Flores et al. (2006) for career self-efficacy parallels.

Analyze & Verify

Analysis Agent applies readPaperContent to extract mediation models from Hwang and Oh (2021), verifies claims via verifyResponse (CoVe) against Kerns et al. (2002), and runs PythonAnalysis with pandas to meta-analyze correlation coefficients across 5 papers, graded by GRADE for evidence quality in health interventions.

Synthesize & Write

Synthesis Agent detects gaps like missing longitudinal studies in nursing self-efficacy, flags contradictions between Barlow (1999) and Trigueros et al. (2020) on resilience links, then Writing Agent uses latexEditText, latexSyncCitations for Allen et al. (2002), and latexCompile to produce a review section with exportMermaid flowcharts of self-efficacy pathways.

Use Cases

"Run stats on self-efficacy correlations with problem-solving in nursing papers"

Research Agent → searchPapers → Analysis Agent → runPythonAnalysis (pandas correlation matrix on data from Hwang 2021 and Ahmady 2020) → researcher gets CSV of r-values, p-values, and meta-effect size plot.

"Draft LaTeX section on self-efficacy interventions for cancer patients"

Synthesis Agent → gap detection → Writing Agent → latexEditText + latexSyncCitations (Allen 2002, Barlow 1999) + latexCompile → researcher gets compiled PDF with cited problem-solving program results table.

"Find code for self-efficacy scale validation from related papers"

Research Agent → paperExtractUrls (Flores 2006) → Code Discovery → paperFindGithubRepo → githubRepoInspect → researcher gets R scripts for psychometric analysis of career self-efficacy scales.

Automated Workflows

Deep Research workflow scans 50+ papers via searchPapers on 'self-efficacy decision making health', structures report with GRADE-graded evidence from Hwang (2021) and Flores (2006). DeepScan applies 7-step CoVe chain to verify Allen et al. (2002) stress reduction claims against Kerns (2002). Theorizer generates hypotheses on self-efficacy mediation in speech therapy from Trigueros (2020) resilience data.

Try Doxa for Self-Efficacy in Problem Solving and Decision Making Research

Frequently Asked Questions

What defines self-efficacy in this subtopic?

Self-efficacy is confidence in one's problem-solving and decision-making capabilities, rooted in Bandura's theory, measured via domain-specific scales like those in Flores et al. (2006).

What methods assess self-efficacy here?

Researchers use self-report scales for problem-solving appraisal (Kerns et al., 2002) and career decision-making self-efficacy (Flores et al., 2006), often in regression models with interventions like social problem-solving training (Ahmady and Shahbazi, 2020).

What are key papers?

Top papers include Allen et al. (2002, 144 citations) on breast cancer stress reduction, Flores et al. (2006, 126 citations) on educational goals, and Hwang and Oh (2021, 117 citations) on nursing mediation.

What open problems exist?

Challenges include causal validation of interventions (Hwang and Oh, 2021) and scalable tools for diverse groups (Barlow, 1999), with needs for longitudinal studies in health professions.