ISSN : 1229-0718
This study was intended to review the role and importance of the mediator and moderator in the field of developmental psychology and to confirm the self-efficacy as a mediator in an empirical research. The levels of the individual achievement motivation, locus of control and self-efficacy of the 288 middle school students were measured and verbal task was performed to them. By the statistical method of regression and path analysis, the mutual relations of the achievement motivation and locus of control with the self-efficacy and task performance were examined respectively. The results indicated that the self-efficacy of the individual works as a mediator in the relation of the achievement motivation and task performance as well as in the relation of the locus of control and task performance. The most of the studies in the field of the developmental psychology have concerned only the relations of the independent variables and dependent variables. But future studies in this field have to seek for the varied mediators and confirm the processes of their change over the life span. As a result we will be able to explain the more phenomena about a man than now.