Self-doubt is when you don’t feel confident in your own abilities (Woodman, 2019). Sometimes, having confidence in yourself can help you do better (Woodman & Hardy, 2003), but having a little bit of self-doubt can actually be good for your performance too (Woodman et al., 2010) . It can motivate you to work harder and put in the effort needed to tackle a difficult task (Bandura & Locke, 2003).
Bandura, A., & Locke, E. A. (2003). Negative self-efficacy and goal effects revisited. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88, 8799.
Woodman, T. (2019). In D. Hackfort, R. J. Schinke, & B. Strauss (Eds.), Dictionary of sport psychology: Sport, exercise, and performing arts. Academic Press.
Woodman, T., Akehurst, S., Hardy, L., & Beattie, S. (2010). Self-confidence and performance: A little self-doubt helps. Psychology of Sport & Exercise, 11, 467470.
Woodman, T., & Hardy, L. (2003). The relative impact of cog- nitive anxiety and self-confidence upon sport performance: A meta-analysis. Journal of Sports Sciences, 21, 443457.