Description

The Self-Efficacy and Externality Scales (SEES) are instruments used to assess two core psychological dimensions: self-efficacy and externality. Self-efficacy refers to an individual’s beliefs about their ability to influence events and situations, whereas externality refers to the belief that life outcomes are largely determined by external forces or circumstances.

Together, these dimensions provide a useful framework for understanding how individuals perceive personal control, their capacity to manage challenges, and the role they attribute to outside factors in shaping outcomes.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the SEES is to assess the extent to which individuals believe they are capable of achieving goals and dealing effectively with challenges, as well as the extent to which they believe that outcomes in their lives depend on external factors such as luck or other people.

The scales can also be used to explore how these beliefs influence behavior and decision-making.

Main Dimensions

Self-Efficacy

Self-efficacy refers to a person’s belief in their ability to successfully perform actions, manage difficulties, and influence outcomes. Higher perceived self-efficacy generally reflects greater confidence in one’s capacity to achieve desired goals.

Externality

Externality refers to the tendency to believe that outcomes are determined mainly by forces outside personal control, such as luck, circumstances, or the actions of other people. The distinction between self-efficacy and externality constitutes the central conceptual framework of the instrument.

Administration and Scoring

The SEES includes questions or statements related to beliefs about personal ability to succeed and the influence of external factors on life outcomes. Participants evaluate these statements using a Likert-type scale or another graded response format.

The source document does not specify a fixed number of response categories, scoring cut-offs, or detailed subscale structure. Therefore, scoring should follow the instructions provided for the specific version of the scales being administered.

Interpretation

Interpretation focuses on the balance between perceived personal competence and the tendency to attribute outcomes to external influences.

Higher scores on self-efficacy-related items may indicate stronger confidence in the individual’s ability to achieve goals and cope with challenges. In contrast, higher externality scores may indicate a stronger tendency to view outcomes as dependent on factors beyond direct personal control.

Applications

The SEES may be used in research examining the relationships between personal beliefs, behavior, motivation, coping, and decision-making. Assessing self-efficacy and externality together can provide a broader understanding of how individuals perceive both their own capabilities and the influence of environmental or situational factors.

The theoretical background reflected in the source material is closely related to Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy and Rotter’s concept of internal versus external control of reinforcement.

References

Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84(2), 191–215.

Lefcourt, H. M. (1981). Locus of Control: Current Trends in Theory and Research. Psychology Press.

Rotter, J. B. (1966). Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement. Psychological Monographs: General and Applied, 80(1), 1–28.

Schunk, D. H. (1991). Self-efficacy and academic motivation. Educational Psychologist, 26(3–4), 207–231.