Albert Bandura's highly anticipated examination of his vastly influential work on self-efficacy is now available. The result of over 20 years of research by this renowned psychologist, the book articulates comprehensively Bandura's theory that believing one can achieve what one sets out to do results in a healthier, more effective, and generally more successful life.

How do otherwise considerate human beings do cruel things and still live in peace with themselves? Drawing on his agentic theory, Dr. Bandura provides a definitive exposition of the psychosocial mechanism by which people selectively disengage their moral self-sanctions from their harmful conduct. They do so by sanctifying their harmful behavior as serving worthy causes; they absolve themselves of blame for the harm they cause by displacement and diffusion of responsibility; they minimize or deny the harmful effects of their actions; and they dehumanize those they maltreat and blame them for...