The soft skills dictionary

The definition of key words related to coaching, personality tests, psychometrics or skills development.

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Self-confidence

Definition of self-confidence

Self-confidence in psychology is generally defined as a belief in one’s own abilities, competencies and judgments. It refers to the way an individual perceives himself and his ability to perform certain tasks, overcome challenges or succeed in different aspects of life.

3 things that can positively influence self-confidence

Self-confidence can be positively influenced in a variety of ways. Here are some key strategies:

  1. Successful experiences: Succeeding in a task or project can increase self-confidence. It’s therefore important to try new things and set realistic goals.
  2. Positive reinforcement: Support and encouragement from others can boost self-confidence. This can take the form of compliments, praise or recognition for achievements.
  3. Positive self-dialogue: The thoughts and beliefs we hold about ourselves can have a major impact on our self-confidence. Practicing positive self-talk and encouraging ourselves can help improve self-confidence.

How does self-confidence manifest itself in the workplace?

Self-confidence manifests itself in a variety of ways in the workplace, including:

  • Taking initiative: People who are confident in their competencies and judgment are more likely to take initiative, propose new ideas and bring projects to fruition.
  • Effective communication: Self-confidence can be demonstrated through clear, assertive communication. This includes the ability to express thoughts and ideas effectively, to ask questions when necessary, and to negotiate fairly.
  • Decision-making: Confident people are often able to make decisions quickly and effectively, even in difficult or stressful situations.
  • Managing failure: Self-confidence also makes it easier to deal with failures or setbacks. Instead of letting a failure get them down, a confident person sees it as an opportunity to learn and grow.
  • Leadership: Leaders need a healthy dose of self-confidence to inspire and motivate their team. Self-confident leaders tend to be more respected and followed by their team.

Characteristics of self-confidence

It’s worth noting that self-confidence is not a fixed or immutable characteristic. It can change and evolve throughout a person’s life, depending on their experiences and interactions with their environment.

Balanced self-confidence is generally considered beneficial for psychological well-being and self-fulfilment. However, excessive or unfounded self-confidence can lead to risky behavior or unrealistic expectations, while a lack of self-confidence can hinder goal achievement and lead to low self-esteem.

What’s the best advice a manager can give a member of his or her team to develop self-confidence?

A good piece of advice a manager can give to help someone develop self-confidence is to cultivate a growth mindset. The growth mindset, a concept developed by psychologist Carol Dweck, is the view that competencies and abilities can be developed and improved with time and effort, rather than being fixed, immutable traits.

Here’s how a manager might explain this concept to a team member:

“Remember that every challenge is an opportunity to learn and grow. You are not defined by your mistakes or failures. On the contrary, you can use them as springboards for improvement. Have faith in your ability to develop new competencies and overcome obstacles. It’s okay not to know everything or be perfect right away. What counts is your commitment to continuous learning and improvement. “

How can a tool like Praditus help develop self-confidence?

Praditus is a personality and competency assessment tool that can help individuals understand their strengths, weaknesses, motivations and work styles. This awareness can help build self-confidence in a number of ways.

  1. Understanding personal strengths: A key element in building self-confidence is knowing and understanding your own strengths. Praditus helps users to identify their strengths so that they can value and use them effectively.

  2. Recognizing areas for improvement: Praditus can also help identify areas for improvement. Knowing where you need to work enables you to develop an action plan to improve these competencies, which can also boost self-confidence.

  3. Professional Development Guide: Praditus provides guidance on how users can develop their competencies and progress in their careers. By following this advice, users can feel more confident in their ability to achieve their professional goals.

  4. Validation of self-perception: By providing an objective assessment of competencies and personality, Praditus can help validate users’ self-perception, which can boost their confidence in their own judgment and understanding of themselves.

  5. Motivation and career orientation: By discovering their intrinsic motivations and work preferences, users can be guided towards roles and careers that better match their personality, which can lead to greater job satisfaction and confidence.

In short, Praditus, like other personality and competency assessment tools, can be a valuable tool to help individuals develop their self-confidence.

What is the main psychological research on self-confidence?

Self-confidence is a major topic of study in psychology, with research coming from a variety of subfields, including developmental psychology, social psychology, clinical psychology and organizational psychology.

In developmental psychology, many studies have focused on how self-confidence evolves throughout life. For example, researchers have investigated how family environment, upbringing and experiences of success or failure influence the development of self-confidence in children and adolescents. Much of this research has revealed that early positive experiences, such as parental support and academic or sporting success, can increase self-confidence in the long term.

In social psychology, research on self-confidence often focuses on its role in interpersonal interactions and relationships. For example, some studies have shown that people with high self-confidence are generally perceived as more attractive and convincing. Other research has explored the link between self-confidence and leadership, suggesting that self-confidence can contribute to a more favorable perception of leadership abilities.

In clinical psychology, self-confidence has been linked to a variety of mental health outcomes. Low levels of self-confidence are often associated with mental disorders such as depression and anxiety, while high levels of self-confidence may be a protective factor against these disorders.

Finally, in organizational psychology, self-confidence has been studied in relation to job performance and job satisfaction. Research suggests that self-confidence can improve job performance by increasing motivation and perseverance in the face of challenges. What’s more, those with high self-confidence tend to be more satisfied with their jobs and have better mental health at work.

Together, this research shows that self-confidence plays a key role in a variety of areas, including personal development, social interactions, mental health and professional success.

Resource :

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/confidence