Does everyone benefit equally from self-efficacy beliefs? The moderating role of perceived social support on motivation

Abstract

This study investigated whether perceived goal support from family and friends may moderate the relationship between academic self-efficacy and motivational outcomes among early adolescent students recruited from a low-middle socio-economic status(SES) background school in Turkey (N = 319, Xa(ge) = 13.13, SD = .80). Self-report questionnaires included measures of academic self-efficacy, perceived family and friend support, and academic and career motivations. Academic self-efficacy and perceived support from family related positively to both types of motivation. Children who perceived lower family support benefited more from the positive effects of self-efficacy on motivations, whereas children with higher family support seemed to gain less (or not gain at all) from self-enhancing functions of self-efficacy. Same findings were found for peer support, but only when family support was excluded from analyses. Findings implied the need to study larger family and peer contexts under which self-efficacy beliefs may be more or less effective on motivation.