Sources of Self-Efficacy in Runners: A Training Exploration

Abstract

An Examination of the Sources of Self-Efficacy in Runners throughout Training [University] EDKN 3352: Sport Psychology [Instructor Name] Date An Examination of the Sources of Self-Efficacy in Runners throughout Training Anstiss, P. A., Meijen, C., & Marcora, S. M. (2018). The sources of self-efficacy in experienced and competitive endurance athletes. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 1-17. The purpose of Anstiss, Meijen, and Marcora’s (2018) study was to develop a better understanding of the sources of self-efficacy information in a sample of endurance athletes. They conducted one-time semi-structured interviews with 12 experienced endurance athletes and found that past performance experiences were reported as the key source of self-efficacy information, which is consistent with the current literature on sources of self-efficacy information in physical tasks. One strength of Anstiss et al.’s (2018) study is the identification of sub-themes that fell within the six commonly established sources of self-efficacy information. Additionally, some overlap was found between the sources of self-efficacy information, suggesting that the sources may not be distinct. Samson, A. (2014). Sources of self-efficacy during marathon training: A qualitative, longitudinal investigation. The Sport Psychologist, 28, 164-175. Samson (2014) examined self-efficacy beliefs in a study of 26 Caucasian college students completing a marathon training program for course credit. Participants were interviewed throughout their marathon training program to gain a deeper understanding of how and why sources of self-efficacy information are weighed and interpreted. Samson (2014) found that the runners described using a variety of sources of self-efficacy information. Physiological states were reported to be an important influence on the formation of self-efficacy beliefs in runners at the beginning of the training program, but past performance experiences (i.e., enactive mastery experiences) increased in their influence throughout the training as participants gained more experiences from which to draw from. Shipherd, A. M....