Peers play a significant role in influencing adolescent self-efficacy.
Self-efficacy, in turn, has been considered to influence health
behavior. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to
describe adolescents' perceptions about their self-efficacy in peer
interactions to strengthen the theoretical understanding about the
sources of self-efficacy during adolescence. The sample comprised of 155
adolescents (13 - 17 years) in three upper comprehensive schools within
two Finnish cities. The data were collected using the critical incident
technique with an open-ended questionnaire. Adolescents were asked to
describe two situations: one in which they had, and another in which
they had not been able to act according to their own choice in peer
interactions. Adolescents' written descriptions were analyzed using
inductive thematic analysis. The data suggests that adolescents'
perceptions about their self-efficacy in peer interactions manifests
itself as a dynamic process characterized by debating with oneself and
reflecting on information relevant for judging personal abilities.
Debating with oneself consisted of five themes which influenced the
adolescents' self-efficacy in peer interactions: adolescents'
self-identity, social atmosphere, adolescents' cognitive and emotional
aspects as well as evaluating the consequences of the intended action.
Adolescents' self-identity, which included self-confidence and morals,
appeared to be the most solid theme, whereas social atmosphere varied
according to the situation. Social atmosphere often diminished the
adolescents' self-efficacy in peer interactions. Although the findings
are partly consistent with previous literature, they also put more
emphasis on adolescents' own active role in the formation of
self-efficacy in the context of peer interactions.