Old dogs, new tricks: a cognitive-behavioral intervention to boost training self-efficacy

Introduction This study evaluates whether a brief cognitive-behavioral intervention focusing on cognitive restructuring of learning-related beliefs can increase employees' self-efficacy for training, reduce learning-related anxiety, and improve learning outcomes. Methods One hundred and twenty mid-career and older workers from a manufacturing company were randomly assigned to an intervention group or a waitlist control group. Participants completed various self-report measures before and immediately after the intervention, as well as 3 months later, when they also took a knowledge test. Results The intervention group showed a substantial increase in training self-efficacy, lower learning-related anxiety, and better performance on the knowledge test, relative to the control group. Moreover, job satisfaction also increased in the intervention group, suggesting spillover effects into broader work attitudes. Conclusion These findings indicate that brief motivation-focused pre-training interventions can shift beliefs and emotions in ways that improve learning and satisfaction. The research thus introduces a scalable tool for organizations seeking to enhance training effectiveness, especially among employees who may be less confident or more anxious about learning new skills.