General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE)

Assesses the sense of perceived self-efficacy to check how you cope with daily situations and stressful life events.

Refer to the text below the calculator for more information about its administration and validation.

The General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE) evaluates how one copes with daily activities and stressful life events through their self-perceived efficacy. It can be applied to both the general adult population and adolescents above the age of 12.

GSE Scale Items

  1. I can always manage to solve difficult problems if I try hard enough.
  2. If someone opposes me, I can find the means and ways to get what I want.
  3. It is easy for me to stick to my aims and accomplish my goals.
  4. I am confident that I could deal efficiently with unexpected events.
  5. Thanks to my resourcefulness, I know how to handle unforeseen situations.
  6. I can solve most problems if I invest the necessary effort.
  7. I can remain calm when facing difficulties because I can rely on my coping abilities.
  8. When I am confronted with a problem, I can usually find several solutions.
  9. If I am in trouble, I can usually think of a solution.
  10. I can usually handle whatever comes my way.

Each of the 10 items is rated on a 4-point scale:

  • Not at all true (1)
  • Hardly true (2)
  • Moderately true (3)
  • Exactly true (4)

GSE Score Interpretation

GSE scores range from 10 to 40, where the higher the score, the greater the individual’s generalised self-efficacy belief.

1I can always manage to solve difficult problems if I try hard enough.
2If someone opposes me, I can find the means and ways to get what I want.
3It is easy for me to stick to my aims and accomplish my goals.
4I am confident that I could deal efficiently with unexpected events.
5Thanks to my resourcefulness, I know how to handle unforeseen situations.
6I can solve most problems if I invest the necessary effort.
7I can remain calm when facing difficulties because I can rely on my coping abilities.
8When I am confronted with a problem, I can usually find several solutions.
9If I am in trouble, I can usually think of a solution.
10I can usually handle whatever comes my way.
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Steps on how to print your input & results:

1. Fill in the calculator/tool with your values and/or your answer choices and press Calculate.

2. Then you can click on the Print button to open a PDF in a separate window with the inputs and results. You can further save the PDF or print it.

Please note that once you have closed the PDF you need to click on the Calculate button before you try opening it again, otherwise the input and/or results may not appear in the pdf.

 

General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE) Explained

The General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE) evaluates how one copes with daily activities and stressful life events through their self-perceived efficacy. The GSE can be applied to both the general adult population and adolescents above the age of 12.

This is a self-report measure consisting of 10 items, each rated on a 4-point scale:

  1. I can always manage to solve difficult problems if I try hard enough.
  2. If someone opposes me, I can find the means and ways to get what I want.
  3. It is easy for me to stick to my aims and accomplish my goals.
  4. I am confident that I could deal efficiently with unexpected events.
  5. Thanks to my resourcefulness, I know how to handle unforeseen situations.
  6. I can solve most problems if I invest the necessary effort.
  7. I can remain calm when facing difficulties because I can rely on my coping abilities.
  8. When I am confronted with a problem, I can usually find several solutions.
  9. If I am in trouble, I can usually think of a solution.
  10. I can usually handle whatever comes my way.

Each of the 10 items is rated on a 4-point scale:

  • Not at all true (1);
  • Hardly true (2);
  • Moderately true (3);
  • Exactly true (4).

GSE scores range from 10 to 40, where the higher the score, the greater the individual’s generalised self-efficacy belief.

The items may be used as part of a more comprehensive questionnaire. The construct reflects an optimistic self-belief and checks how the person copes with adversity in different life domains. The GSE can be correlated with emotion, optimism and work satisfaction. Negatively, it may reflect stress, burnout and anxiety.

The GSE may be used for assessing patients before and after surgery, as a measure of changes in quality of life. Similarly, it can be addressed to patients with chronic pain or who are part of a rehabilitation program.

In 23 nation-wide samples, the internal reliability for GSE resulted in Cronbach’s alphas between .76 and .90.

 

References

Original references

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

Schwarzer, R., & Jerusalem, M. (1995). Generalized Self-Efficacy scale. In J. Weinman, S. Wright, & M. Johnston, Measures in health psychology: A user’s portfolio. Causal and control beliefs (pp. 35-37). Windsor, UK: NFER-NELSON.

Other references

Scholz, U., Dona, B. G., Sud, S., & Schwarzer, R. (2002). Is general self-efficacy a universal construct? Psychometric findings from 25 countries. European journal of psychological assessment, 18, 242-251.

Schwarzer, R., & Fuchs, R. (1996). Self-efficacy and health behaviors. In M. Conner & P. Norman (Eds.), Predicting health behavior: Research and practice with social cognition models. (pp. 163-196) Buckingham, UK: Open University Press.

Specialty: Psychiatry

Objective: Assessment

No. Of Items: 10

Year Of Study: 1992

Abbreviation: GSE

Article By: Denise Nedea

Published On: July 9, 2020 · 12:00 AM

Last Checked: July 9, 2020

Next Review: July 9, 2025