<p>Quick answer:</p>

<p>A brief <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=relationship+between+confidence+and+skill&amp;rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS592US592&amp;oq=relationship+between+confidence+and+skill&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57.5815j0j7&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Google search</a> show cases where this occurred. For example, it seems that a study on medical students showed a significant relationship between confidence and ability after training, although not before training (<a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1931720413002183" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Clanton et al., 2014</a>). This being said, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Dunning-Kruger</a> effect always comes to mind when such questions come up…</p>

<p><strong>References</strong></p>

<p>Clanton, J., Gardner, A., Cheung, M., Mellert, L., Evancho-Chapman, M., &amp; George, R. L. (2014). The relationship between confidence and competence in the development of surgical skills. Journal of Surgical Education, 71(3), 405–412. <a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsurg.2013.08.009" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsurg.2013.08.009</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-09-26T07:31:06.627Z
2017-09-26T07:31:06.627Z
mflo-ByeSE
<p>I think what you are reffering to is known as <a href="https://www.uky.edu/%7Eeushe2/Bandura/BanEncy.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">self-efficacy</a>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Perceived <strong>self-efficacy</strong> is defined as people's beliefs about their
capabilities to produce designated levels of performance that exercise
influence over events that affect their lives. Self-efficacy beliefs
determine how people feel, think, motivate themselves and behave.</p>
<p>...</p>
<p>A strong sense of efficacy enhances human accomplishment and
personal well-being in many ways. People with high assurance in their
capabilities approach difficult tasks as challenges to be mastered
rather than as threats to be avoided. Such an efficacious outlook
fosters intrinsic interest and deep engrossment in activities. They
set themselves challenging goals and maintain strong commitment to
them. They heighten and sustain their efforts in the face of failure.</p>
<p>...</p>
<p>Most courses of action are initially organized in thought.
People's beliefs in their efficacy shape the types of anticipatory
scenarios they construct and rehearse. Those who have a high sense of
efficacy, visualize success scenarios that provide positive guides and
supports for performance. Those who doubt their efficacy, visualize
failure scenarios and dwell on the many things that can go wrong. It
is difficult to achieve much while fighting self-doubt.</p>
<p>...</p>
<p>Perceived self-efficacy to control thought processes is a key factor
in regulating thought produced stress and depression. It is not the
sheer frequency of disturbing thoughts but the perceived inability to
turn them off that is the major source of distress. Both perceived
coping self-efficacy and thought control efficacy operate jointly to
reduce anxiety and avoidant behavior.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Reference :</p>
<p>Bandura, A. (1994). Self-efficacy. In V. S. Ramachaudran (Ed.), Encyclopedia of human behavior (Vol. 4, pp. 71-81). New York: Academic Press. (Reprinted in H. Friedman [Ed.], Encyclopedia of mental health. San Diego: Academic Press, 1998).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-09-26T08:57:29.877Z
2017-09-26T08:57:29.877Z
2020-06-17T09:55:31.633Z
DesignerAnalyst
<p>My personal experiences have shown me multiple times that by only boosting my confidence in my ability to solve a problem,  without gaining any additional knowledge, I was able to solve it!</p>

<p>My question is, has this been studied that to what extent our confidence in our abilities can help us to find a solution for a problem?</p>

<p>If so, can you please provide a link?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-09-27T19:33:55.563Z
Related: https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/4418/what-causes-fear-of-failure-to-lead-to-lack-of-effort-and-actual-failure
Arnon Weinberg
<problem-solving><confidence>
Relation of confidence and problem solving ability
hamoon jamshidi meydandar
# Relation of confidence and problem solving ability

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-09-25)

My personal experiences have shown me multiple times that by only boosting my confidence in my ability to solve a problem, without gaining any additional knowledge, I was able to solve it!

My question is, has this been studied that to what extent our confidence in our abilities can help us to find a solution for a problem?

If so, can you please provide a link?

**Tags:** problem-solving, confidence

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Related: https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/4418/what-causes-fear-of-failure-to-lead-to-lack-of-effort-and-actual-failure  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-09-26. Score: 3

Quick answer:

A brief [Google search](https://www.google.com/search?q=relationship+between+confidence+and+skill&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS592US592&oq=relationship+between+confidence+and+skill&aqs=chrome..69i57.5815j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8) show cases where this occurred. For example, it seems that a study on medical students showed a significant relationship between confidence and ability after training, although not before training ([Clanton et al., 2014](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1931720413002183)). This being said, the [Dunning-Kruger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect) effect always comes to mind when such questions come up…

**References**

Clanton, J., Gardner, A., Cheung, M., Mellert, L., Evancho-Chapman, M., & George, R. L. (2014). The relationship between confidence and competence in the development of surgical skills. Journal of Surgical Education, 71(3), 405–412. <http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsurg.2013.08.009>


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### Answer by username_3 on 2017-09-26. Score: 3

I think what you are reffering to is known as [self-efficacy](https://www.uky.edu/%7Eeushe2/Bandura/BanEncy.html).

> Perceived **self-efficacy** is defined as people's beliefs about their
> capabilities to produce designated levels of performance that exercise
> influence over events that affect their lives. Self-efficacy beliefs
> determine how people feel, think, motivate themselves and behave.
>
> ...
>
> A strong sense of efficacy enhances human accomplishment and
> personal well-being in many ways. People with high assurance in their
> capabilities approach difficult tasks as challenges to be mastered
> rather than as threats to be avoided. Such an efficacious outlook
> fosters intrinsic interest and deep engrossment in activities. They
> set themselves challenging goals and maintain strong commitment to
> them. They heighten and sustain their efforts in the face of failure.
>
> ...
>
> Most courses of action are initially organized in thought.
> People's beliefs in their efficacy shape the types of anticipatory
> scenarios they construct and rehearse. Those who have a high sense of
> efficacy, visualize success scenarios that provide positive guides and
> supports for performance. Those who doubt their efficacy, visualize
> failure scenarios and dwell on the many things that can go wrong. It
> is difficult to achieve much while fighting self-doubt.
>
> ...
>
> Perceived self-efficacy to control thought processes is a key factor
> in regulating thought produced stress and depression. It is not the
> sheer frequency of disturbing thoughts but the perceived inability to
> turn them off that is the major source of distress. Both perceived
> coping self-efficacy and thought control efficacy operate jointly to
> reduce anxiety and avoidant behavior.

Reference :

Bandura, A. (1994). Self-efficacy. In V. S. Ramachaudran (Ed.), Encyclopedia of human behavior (Vol. 4, pp. 71-81). New York: Academic Press. (Reprinted in H. Friedman [Ed.], Encyclopedia of mental health. San Diego: Academic Press, 1998).


---

