Interaction between self-efficacy and initial performance in predicting the complexity of task chosen

Research on motivation has confirmed the predictive power of cognitive-affective variables on performance in complex tasks. However, less attention has been given to the determinants of task choice in situations where there is discretion about which task is to be undertaken. An experimental study was designed to analyze the role of dispositional variables (goal orientations and need for cognition) and self-regulatory variables (self-efficacy, intrinsic satisfaction, and task involvement) in the complexity of task chosen. 117 students participated in a complex decision-making task with different levels of difficulty. Results indicated that the avoidance performance goal orientation can predict the difficulty of the task chosen. Self-efficacy beliefs contribute to explaining the range of difficulty people consider feasible to attempt when initial performance is controlled. Individuals with high self-efficacy chose tasks that maximized their learning opportunities.