Which factor is most closely linked to greater persistence in challenging tasks?

Which factor is most closely linked to greater persistence in challenging tasks?

• A. Low expectancy of success.
• B. External rewards visibility.
• C. High self-efficacy.
• D. Punitive consequences for failure.

Answer: (C)

Beliefs about your own ability to perform a task strongly shape how long you stay with it when it’s tough. When you have high self-efficacy for a task, you expect that hard work, skill, and effective strategies can lead to success. This confidence makes challenges feel solvable, so you’re more willing to keep trying, invest effort, and use problem‑solving steps even after setbacks. As a result, you persist longer and are more likely to overcome obstacles to reach the goal. Low expectancy of success tends to reduce persistence because the effort feels futile, leading to giving up sooner. External rewards visibility can influence motivation in some contexts but doesn’t inherently boost the belief in your own capability to succeed, so it isn’t as closely tied to continuing effort in the face of difficulty. Punitive consequences for failure can instill fear or avoidance, decreasing willingness to tackle hard tasks. The strongest link to enduring effort under challenge is the belief in one’s own ability—high self-efficacy.

Beliefs about your own ability to perform a task strongly shape how long you stay with it when it’s tough. When you have high self-efficacy for a task, you expect that hard work, skill, and effective strategies can lead to success. This confidence makes challenges feel solvable, so you’re more willing to keep trying, invest effort, and use problem‑solving steps even after setbacks. As a result, you persist longer and are more likely to overcome obstacles to reach the goal.

Low expectancy of success tends to reduce persistence because the effort feels futile, leading to giving up sooner. External rewards visibility can influence motivation in some contexts but doesn’t inherently boost the belief in your own capability to succeed, so it isn’t as closely tied to continuing effort in the face of difficulty. Punitive consequences for failure can instill fear or avoidance, decreasing willingness to tackle hard tasks. The strongest link to enduring effort under challenge is the belief in one’s own ability—high self-efficacy.