Self-Efficacy and the Addictive Behaviors

Self-efficacy evaluations have been studied rather extensively in smoking cessation, but only initially for alcohol and eating disorders. Results of current studies indicate that self-efficacy is a valuable and useful construct for exploring successful change in addictive behaviors. This is especially true for the prediction of relapse and maintenance. Self-efficacy evaluations not only predict successful abstinence, but are also related to coping activities during maintenance. Research in the area of the addictive behaviors, on the other hand, has supported several critical theoretical assumptions of the self-efficacy construct. Perceived self-efficacy is a unique and complex self-evaluation related to performance and the process of change. However, issues regarding adequacy of measurement, clarity of target behaviors, and the development or erosion of self-efficacy expectations remain largely unanswered.