Subject-Matter Specificity of Self-Efficacy, Outcome Expectancies, Interests, and Goals: Implications for the Social-Cognitive Model

This study was designed to investigate the academic-subject-matter domain specificity of self-efficacy, interests, outcome expectations, and goals. Four major subject-matter domains were selected to investigate this issue: math/science, art, social studies, and English. To examine this question, 16 instruments were constructed to measure the 4 concepts across the 4 subject domains. An analytical strategy similar to that used in multitrait multimethod studies was used. Using this strategy, a series of factor models was tested for fit to the data using confirmatory factor analytic procedures. Results indicated that a factor solution that accommodated both distinct subject matters and distinct constructs provided the best fit to the data, supporting the existence of the constructs of academic self-efficacy, interests, outcome expectancies, and goals that are specific to each subject-matter domain.