Self Efficacy

    Self-efficacy has a large influence of motivation within a person and how they respond and do things. Self-efficacy is defined as perceptions, competence, confidence, and expectations for positive outcomes. This type of thinking and motivation is often focused on the future, and current perceptions. Self-efficacy is something that is personal to each person and built upon what they want and how likely they expect to get it in a sense. This is because self-efficacy is also about one’s confidence to organize and execute skills, as well as their ability to use skills they have or can acquire to obtain their desired results. 

    The root of self-efficacy can be found in four different ways: personal history of success and failures, messages received from others, models, and personal feelings and reflections. All of these help build upon how much someone feels they can achieve the outcome they desire, and what they have to show for it.  In addition, high self-efficacy will lead to persistence, greater effort, and higher goals, while low self-efficacy can result in avoidance and not trying. 

When we look at Azula as a character it can be said that she has a very high self-efficacy. This is because Azula begins her journey in the TV show from orders from her father and the responsibility to help improve her nations. When we first see her as mentioned previously, she intent on capturing her brother. In this moment, she also displays her level of power and mocks her brother in terms of how much power she was in comparison to him. This is seen and noted through the way in which she conjures lightening in hopes to strike him, as well as show off her skills and power. Additionally, Azula is only the only person currently within the fire nation who possess blue flames. This means her flames burn hotter and stronger than the typical fire bender. All of this shows how powerful Azula is and how even she knows this about herself. 

Throughout the show she proves to be motivated by her ability to succeed due to how powerful she is, and how tactical she is in terms of conquering land and fighting against the Avatar. Azula’s self-efficacy is focused on becoming the first female fire lord and she wants to inherit all that is supposed to belong to her brother. This is seen during the final battle that takes place between Azula and Zuko. Though her self-efficacy and motivation waivers costing her the battle, Azula is the one who challenges Zuko and is the one who is intended to inherit the crown in the first place because she gained their father’s favor. Overall, Azula is driven to both her own ends of becoming the fire lord, as well as satisfying her father. She is confident in her ability as both a strategist and fire bender and shows her strength to never give up and fight for what she wants. Therefore, displaying her confidence to execute her desires, and her skills that she obtained to reach the desired result.