Skip to main content
Log in

General perceived self-efficacy: validation analysis in Greek cancer patients

  • Supportive Care International
  • Published:
Supportive Care in Cancer Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Goals of work

The present study aims to validate the General Perceived Self-efficacy Scale (GSE) in Greek cancer patients.

Materials and methods

The scale was administered twice, with a 3-day interval, to 99 advanced cancer patients. The patients also completed the Anxiety Subscale from the Greek Hospital Depression and Anxiety Scale.

Main results

Factor analyses identified a one-factor solution, explaining 74.6% of the variance. The Greek version of the GSE had a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.927. Validity as performed using known-group analysis showed good results. Satisfactory construct validity was supported by the correlation analysis between the GSE and anxiety (r = −0.507, p < 0.0005). Interitem correlations was also satisfactory at p < 0.0005.

Conclusions

These psychometric properties of the Greek version of the GSE showed that it is a valid and reliable measured when administered to cancer patients.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Altmaier EM, Russell DW, Kao CF, Lehmann TR, Weinstein JN (1993) Role of self-efficacy in rehabilitation outcome among chronic low back pain patients. J Counsel Psychol 40:335–339

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Bandura A (1977) A Self-efficacy: toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychol Rev 84:191–215

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Bandura A (1982) The assessment and predictive generality of self-percepts of efficacy. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 13(3):195–199

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Bandura A (1989) Self-efficacy mechanism in physiological activation and health-promoting behaviour. In: Madden J, Matthysse S, Barchas J (eds) Adaptation, learning and affect. Raven, New York, pp 1169–1188

    Google Scholar 

  5. Bandura A (1991) Self-efficacy conception of anxiety. In: Schwarzer R, Wicklund RA (eds) Anxiety and self-focused attention. Harwood, New York, pp 89–110

    Google Scholar 

  6. Bandura A (1994) Self efficacy. In: Ramachaudran VS (ed) Encyclopedia of human behaviour. vol. 4. Academic, New York, pp 71–81 (reprinted in H. Friedman [ed] Encyclopedia of mental health. Academic Press, San Diego, 1998)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Bandura A (1997) Self-efficacy: the exercise of control. Freeman, New York

    Google Scholar 

  8. Bandura A (2001) Social cognitive theory: An agentic perspective. Annu Rev Psychol 52:1–26 (Annual Reviews, Palo Alto)

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Beckham J, Burker E, Lytly B, Feldman M, Costakis M (1997) Self-efficacy and adjustment in cancer patients: a preliminary report. Behav Med 23:138–142

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Benight CC, Bandura A (2004) Social cognitive theory of posttraumatic recovery: the role of perceived self-efficacy. Behav Res Ther 42:1129–1148

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Chen G, Gully SM, Eden D (2001) Validation of a new General Self-efficacy Scale. Organ Res Methods 4:62–83

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Condiotte MM, Lichtenstein E (1981) Self-efficacy and relapse in smoking cessation programs. J Consult Clin Psychol 49:648–658

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Cronbach LJ (1951) Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. Psychometrica 16:297

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Cunningham AJ, Lockwood GA, Cunningham JA (1991) A relationship between perceived self-efficacy and quality of life in cancer patients. Patient Educ Couns 17:71–78

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. De Boer MF, Van den Borne B, Pruyn JF, Ryckman RM, Volovics L, Knegt PP, Meeuwis CA, Mesters I, Wervoerd CD (1998) Psychosocial and physical correlates of survival and recurrence in patients with head and neck carcinoma: results of a 6-year longitudinal study. Cancer 12:2567–2579

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Dilorio C, McCarty F, DePadilla L, Resnicow K, McDonnell-Holstad M, Yeager K, Sharm SM, Morisky DE, Lundberg B (2008) Adherence to antiretroviral medication regimens: a test of a psychosocial model. AIDS Behav, DOI 10.1007/10461-007-9318-4. Available at: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1182m00w61427h86/fulltext.html, Nov

  17. Eden D (1988) Pygmalion, goal setting, and expectancy: comparable ways to raise productivity. Acad Manage Rev 13:639–652

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Eden D (2001) Means efficacy: external sources of general and specific efficacy. In: Erez M, Kleinbeck U (eds) Work motivation in the context of a globalizing economy. Lawrence Erlbaum, Mahwah, NJ, pp 73–85

    Google Scholar 

  19. Garcia ME, Schmitz JM, Doerfler LA (1990) A fine-grained analysis of the role of self-efficacy in self-initiated attempts to quit smoking. J Consult Clin Psychol 58:317–322

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Glynou E, Jerusalem M, Schwarzer R (1992) Greek version of the general self-efficacy scale. Available at: http://www.ralfschwarzer.de

  21. Haas BK (2005) Focus on health promotion: self-efficacy in oncology nursing research and practice. Health Promot Pract 6:37–43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Jerusalem M, Schwarzer R (1992) Self-efficacy as a resource factor in stress appraisal processes. In: Schwarzer R (ed) Self-efficacy: thought control of action. Hemisphere, Washington, DC, pp 195–213

    Google Scholar 

  23. Judge TA, Erez A, Bono JE (1998) The power of being positive: the relation between positive self concept and job performance. Hum Perform 11:167–187

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Lev E (1997) Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy: applications to oncology. Sch Inq Nurs Pract 11:21–43

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Lev E, Daley K, Conner N, Reith M, Fernandez C, Owen S (2001) An intervention to increase quality of life and self-care self-efficacy and decrease symptoms in breast cancer patients. Sch Inq Nurs Pract 15:277–294

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Lev E, Owen S (2000) Counseling women with breast cancer using principles developed by Albert Bandura. Perspect Psychiatr C 36:131–176

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Lev E, Owen S (2001) Counseling women with breast cancer using principles developed by Albert Bandura. Perspect Psychiatr C 37:107–108

    Google Scholar 

  28. Litt MD (1988) Self-efficacy and perceived control: cognitive mediators of pain tolerance. J Pers Soc Psychol 54:149–160

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Locke EA, Latham GP (1990) A theory of goal setting and task performance. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ

    Google Scholar 

  30. Luszczynska A, Mohamed NE, Schwarzer R (2005) Self-efficacy and social support predict benefit finding 12 months after cancer surgery: The mediating role of coping strategies. Psychol Health Med 10:365–375

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Marks R, Allegrante JP, Lorig K (2005) A review and synthesis of research evidence for self-efficacy-enhancing interventions for reducing chronic disability: implications for health education practice (Part I). Health Promot Pract 6:37–43

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Manning MM, Wright TL (1983) Self-efficacy expectancies, outcome expectancies, and the persistence of pain control in childbirth. J Personal Soc Psychol 45:421–431

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Mystakidou K, Tsilika E, Parpa E, Katsouda E, Galanos A, Vlahos L (2004) The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale in Greek cancer patients: psychometric analyses and applicability. Support Care Cancer 12:821–825

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. O’Leary A (1985) Self-efficacy and health. Behav Res Ther 23:437–451

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Oken MM, Creech RH, Tormey DC, Horton J, Davis TE, McFadden ET, Carbone PP (1982) Toxicity and response criteria of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group. Am J Clin Oncol 5:649–655

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Ong AD, Walsh DA (2001) Nicotine dependence, depression and the moderating role of goal cognitions. Psychol Addict Behav 15:252–254

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Robbins S, Lauver K, Le H, Davis D, Langley R, Carlstrom A (2004) Do psychosocial and study skill factors predict college outcomes? A meta-analysis. Psychol Bull 130:261–288

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Rummel RJ (1970) Applied factor analysis. Northwestern University Press, Evanston

    Google Scholar 

  39. Scherbaum CA, Cohen-Charash Y, Kern MJ (2006) Measuring general self efficacy. A comparison of three measures using item response theory. Educ Psychol Meas 66(6):1047–1063

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Sherer M, Maddux JE, Mercandante B, Prentice-Dunn S, Jacobs B, Rogers R (1982) The self-efficacy scale: construction and validation. Psychol Rep 53:899–902

    Google Scholar 

  41. Scholz U, Gutiérrez-Doña B, Sud S, Schwarzer R (2002) Is perceived self-efficacy a universal construct? Psychometric findings from 25 countries. Eur J Psychol Assess 18(3):242–251

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Schwarzer R, Bä, ler J, Kwiatek P, Schröder K, Zhang JX (1997) The assessment of optimistic self-beliefs: comparison of the German, Spanish, and Chinese versions of the general self-efficacy scale. Appl Psychol Int Rev 46:69–88

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Schwarzer R, Born A (1997) Optimistic self-beliefs: assessment of general perceived self-efficacy in thirteen cultures. World Psychol 3(1-2):177–190

    Google Scholar 

  44. Schwarzer R, Born A, Iwawaki S, Lee Y-M, Saito E, Yue X (1997) The assessment of optimistic self-beliefs: comparison of the Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese and Korean versions of the general self-efficacy scale. Psychol Int J Psychol Orient 40:1–13

    Google Scholar 

  45. Schwarzer R, Mueller J, Greenglass E (1999) Assessment of perceived general self-efficacy on the Internet: data collection in cyberspace. Anxiety Stress Coping 12:145–161

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. Schwarzer R, Fuchs R (1995) Self efficacy and health behaviours. In: Conner M, Norman P (eds) Predicting health behaviour: research and practice with social cognition models. Open University Press, Buckingham, UK

    Google Scholar 

  47. Schwarzer R, Jerusalem M (1995) Generalized self-efficacy scale. In: Weinman J, Wright S, Johnston M (eds) Measures in health psychology: a user’s portfolio. Causal and control beliefs. NFER-Nelson, Windsor, UK, pp 35–37

    Google Scholar 

  48. Schwarzer R, Schroder KE (1997) Effects of self-efficacy and social support on postsurgical recovery of heart patients. Irish J Psychol 18:88–103

    Google Scholar 

  49. Velikova G, Selby PJ, Snaith RP, Kirby PG (1995) The relationship of cancer pain to anxiety. Psychother Psychosom 63(3–4)::181–184

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Wiedenfeld SA, O’Leary A, Bandura A, Brown S, Levine S, Raska K (1990) Impact of perceived self-efficacy in coping with stressors on components of the immune system. J Personal Soc Psychol 59:1082–1094

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Zigmond AS, Snaith RP (1983) The hospital anxiety and depression scale (validity & reliability). Acta Psychiatr Scand 67:361–370

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Zhang JX, Schwarzer R (1995) Measuring optimistic self-beliefs: a Chinese adaptation of the General Self-efficacy Scale. Psychologia 38(3):174–181

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kyriaki Mystakidou.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mystakidou, K., Parpa, E., Tsilika, E. et al. General perceived self-efficacy: validation analysis in Greek cancer patients. Support Care Cancer 16, 1317–1322 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-008-0443-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-008-0443-z

Keywords

Navigation