self-efficacy 自我效能

From Defeat, Rejection to Success: "What makes some people rebound from defeats and go on to greatness while others throw in the towel? Psychologists call it 'self-efficacy,' the unshakable belief some people have that they have what it takes to succeed. First described by Stanford University psychologist Albert Bandura in the 1970s, self-efficacy has become a key concept in educational circles, and is being applied to health care, management, sports and seemingly intractable social problems like AIDS in developing countries. It's also a hallmark of the 'positive psychology' movement now sweeping the mental-health field, which focuses on developing character strengths rather than alleviating pathologies."