Self-efficacy in judo

This investigation was designed to determine the effects of preexisting and manipulated self-efficacy on a sport-related competitive task, as well as to determine the relation of self-efficacy to levels of trait anxiety and internal/external locus of control, Thirty-eight male judokas were measured on self-efficacy and personality variables before the experiment began and were randomly assigned to either a high- or low-manipulated self-efficacy condition in a 2 x 2 x 2(preexisting efficacy by manipulated efficacy by trials) design. Efficacy was manipulated by having subjects undergo a series of exercises as a fitness test and providing bogus verbal feedback on their performance. Low-manipulated self-efficacy subjects were told they were unfit compared to other Judokas of their age, while high-manipulated efficacy subjects were told they were very fit compared to other judokas of their age. They then competed on two trials of the dependent variable, a judo groundhold. There was no overall effect of either preexisting self-efficacy or manipulated self-efficacy, but pre-existing efficacy influenced performance on both trials, while manipulated self-efficacy influenced performance on trial two onl. Several other variables, namely trait anxiety, experience and actual fitness also influenced performance. The findings tend to support Bandura's (1977,1982) theory of self-efficacy but questions are raised regarding the importance of other factors. Several further lines of research are suggested