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Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy

A rather broad definition of self-efficacy is provided by Bandura (the psychologist who coined the term) as referring to individuals’ belief in their ability to execute behaviors needed to attain specific performances. As such, the self-efficacy term is already fuzzy. Although it includes an array of loose constructs (belief, ability, behavior, outcome expectations), self-efficacy is qualitatively different from each of those taken separately. There are two main components in Bandura’s self-efficacy theory: competence or efficacy beliefs (believing to have the skills needed to do something) and outcome expectations (believing that engaging in certain behaviors will yield the expected success).

Lisa has self-beliefs of efficacy (of beliefs of self-efficacy) meaning that she engages in actions because she believes that she can manage to solve any arising issues leading to achieving her set goal. That is why she decides to challenge the company who manufactures her favorite doll, Malibu Stacy (A Simpson version of Barbie). The new version of the doll says things like "Thinking too much gives you wrinkles" and "Don't ask me, I'm just a girl” which is against Lisa’s identity and social values. Lisa’s self-efficacy in tackling the issue of Malibu Stacy dolls stems from her previous personal experiences such as past successes in questioning things and affect change. Indeed, many episodes of The Simpsons center on Lisa’s advocacy and activism for causes as diverse as animal cruelty, Free Tibet, women’s rights. And they all have a happy end which means that past performance accomplishments increase current self-beliefs of efficacy and expectations for future success.   

Fueled by her self-efficacy in changing things around her, Lisa’s behavior choices unfold in multiple ways. Emotionally, she is in a state of arousal because, she realizes that her life-long friend, Malibu Stacy doll, does not reflect at all who Lisa thought to be, i.e., someone with the similar social values. Instead, based on its utterances, the doll’s new talking version, is sexist, objectified, helpless, deprived of self-reported agency. Lisa asks for help to find the creator of the doll, a woman long withdrawn from the business and living as a hermit. Lisa convinces her to create a new doll, Lionheart, with Lisa’s voice uttering positive empowering affirmations. Lionheart seems to instigate interest but when an even newer version of the old Malibu Stacy is released, all the little girls rush to get it. Confronted with the choice, one little girl chooses Lionheart which gives Lisa hope.

In sum, Lisa’s behavior can be explained via an identity-based motivation where her self-concept is the driving force behind her persistant actions. However, if she didn’t have self-efficacy (skills and expectation to succeed), she might not have persisted in the process of creating Lionheart, overcoming the hurdles it entailed.

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