Calibration Accuracy of General and Task-Specific Learning Self-Efficacy in a Military Training Simulator

Abstract This study contributes to the understanding of the impact of self-efficacy in a high-fidelity simulator training by unpacking the association between general self-efficacy, task-specific self-efficacy, and performance. Miscalibration of self-efficacy among the trainees was studied, analyzing differences in overestimating, accurate, and underestimating trainees in terms of their overall performance. Participants were 66 military trainees who were training to become gunners in a CV90 armored vehicle. Various log-data were used as objective performance indicators. General self-efficacy was measured prior to the training. Task-specific self-efficacy was measured three times: pre-training, mid-training, and post-training. General self-efficacy and overall performance were positively related. About 45–55% of trainees miscalibrated their task-specific self-efficacy to their overall performance (i.e., varying per time-point); the majority of trainees overestimated their capacities. Furthermore, overestimating trainees performed worse than accurate and underestimating trainees, making more high severity , medium severity , and low severity errors in almost all specific tasks, except target detection. Being the first of its kind, our study adds to the existing knowledge base of miscalibration of general learning and task-specific self-efficacy in a military training simulator. Suggestions for further research and implications are discussed.