Cognitive Ties That Bind: A Tripartite View Of Efficacy Beliefs In Growth-promoting Relationships

We propose study of three forms of efficacy belief that may illuminate interpersonal functioning in close (e.g., helping, training) relationships. The three forms of belief include self-efficacy, other-efficacy, and relation-inferred self-efficacy (RISE) percepts. Although the role of self-efficacy beliefs in predicting or promoting individuals' behavior has received much study, the interpersonal context of efficacy beliefs has often been neglected. We contend that, within close relationships, self-efficacy (beliefs about one's own capabilities) exist in dynamic interaction with the beliefs that people hold about the efficacy of their relationship partners (other-efficacy) and about how their partners view them (RISE). This tripartite system of efficacy beliefs may have important implications for relationship formation, satisfaction, and persistence, as well as for the processes of acquiring and restoring self-efficacy, especially under distressing life conditions.