Perceived Self-Efficacy

Output

Outcome

% of [specify the target group] who do not currently [specify the behaviour] but are confident that they could do so

This indicator measures the proportion of people who do not currently practise a given behaviour but believe that they could do so. It helps assess their perceived self-efficacy, an important factor influencing behaviour adoption. The findings can help identify whether limited confidence is a potential barrier to adopting the behaviour. Keep in mind that confidence does not necessarily mean that people have the resources, opportunities or skills needed to practise it.

Collect the following data by conducting individual interviews with a representative sample of the target group members who do not currently practice the behaviour. To do this, you will first have to assess whether a respondent practices the behaviour or not (take advantage of the guidance available under sector-specific parts of IndiKit).

 

RECOMMENDED SURVEY QUESTIONS (Q) AND POSSIBLE ANSWERS (A)

First, explain the behaviour you want to discuss so that the respondent clearly understands what you will be asking about. If necessary, specify the required frequency, time frame or other conditions, where relevant. Avoid making any reference to how hard or how easy it is to practice the behaviour. Then ask the following question:

Q1: I would like to understand how confident you feel that you could [specify the behaviour; if necessary, also the time frame]. Can you please tell me whether you think that you definitely could, probably could, probably could not, or definitely could not do so?

A1: _

1) definitely could

2) probably could

3) probably could not

4) definitely could not

5) does not know

 

To calculate the indicator’s value:

• Count the respondents who do not currently practise the behaviour and answered “definitely could” or “probably could”.

• Divide this number by the total number of eligible respondents who answered the question, including those who answered “does not know”. Exclude refusals and missing answers.

• Multiply the result by 100 to convert it to a percentage.

Report the proportion of “does not know” responses separately, as a high proportion may affect the interpretation of the findings.

This data can be disaggregated by gender and age group, and, if relevant and feasible, also by disability status, location and other characteristics that may influence people's ability to practise the behaviour.

1) It is recommended that you assess why some people do not feel confident about adopting the given behaviour. Whenever a respondent says that they “probably could not” or “definitely could not” perform the behaviour, the interviewer can ask: “What, if anything, would make it difficult for you to [specify the behaviour]?” Such information can help identify perceived barriers that the intervention may be able to address.

 

2) Use this indicator only for behaviours that people are aware of / can imagine. Otherwise, they will not be able to say how confident they feel about performing the behaviour.

 

3) If you need to measure people's confidence in performing multiple behaviours, rephrase the indicator to “% of [specify the target group] who are confident in their ability to perform at least X out of Y promoted behaviours”. Assess confidence in each behaviour separately, using the methodology described above. Then calculate the percentage of respondents who feel confident in performing at least the specified number of behaviours (e.g. at least 3 out of 5). Where possible, also analyse the results for individual behaviours to identify those people feel less confident about performing.

4) Keep in mind that people may overstate their confidence because they believe this is what the interviewer expects. Ensure that interviews are conducted neutrally and that respondents understand there are no right or wrong answers. Also remember that low confidence may reflect practical constraints, such as limited money, time, access to services or support from others, rather than a lack of motivation or skills.

Also consider using the following indicators:

• Intention to Adopt a Behaviour (assesses whether people who do not practise the behaviour intend to adopt it)

• Prevalence of Barriers to Change (measures how widespread specific obstacles to behaviour adoption are)

• Perceived Ease of Practice (assesses perceived difficulty, which complements confidence in personal ability)

• Use of Provided Knowledge and Skills (assesses actual application of provided skills when the intervention includes training or demonstrations)