In Steins;Gate, Rintaro Okabe's journey is heavily influenced by his evolving self-efficacy. His belief in his ability to change outcomes and control the course of events fluctuates throughout the series, and these changes directly impact his motivation, perseverance, and overall goal striving.

At the start of Steins;Gate, Okabe exhibits high self-efficacy, although it's tied to his eccentric persona as a "mad scientist." He believes strongly in his ability to push the boundaries of science, create inventions, and uncover conspiracies. His confidence is bolstered by his self-proclaimed identity as “Hououin Kyouma,” which acts as a mental shield, allowing him to pursue risky and unconventional projects. His early high self-efficacy is a significant source of motivation, pushing him to experiment with time travel technology and assume he can control its outcomes. Okabe’s confidence and sense of self-efficacy are further reinforced when he discovers the success of the first accidental time leap. His initial successes provide feedback that bolsters his belief in his capacity to manipulate time, leading him to believe that he is capable of controlling the future.

However, as Okabe continues to experiment with time travel, his high self-efficacy begins to falter. After witnessing multiple tragic outcomes, particularly the repeated death of his close friend Mayuri, Okabe's belief in his ability to control time and alter the future is shaken. No matter how many times he leaps through time, he seems unable to escape the same tragic outcomes. His growing sense of helplessness reduces his motivation and causes significant emotional turmoil. At this stage, Okabe's motivation is hindered by the erosion of his self-efficacy. His belief that he can prevent Mayuri's death or achieve a positive outcome diminishes, and he starts to question whether any of his actions have a meaningful impact. The decline in Okabe’s self-efficacy weakens his resilience, and for a time, he considers giving up entirely.

Rintaro Okabe's self-efficacy plays a pivotal role in shaping his motivation and goal striving throughout Steins;Gate. Initially, his high self-efficacy motivates him to explore the possibilities of time travel, but repeated failures lead to feelings of helplessness and reduced self-efficacy. His motivation wanes as he begins to doubt his ability to change the future, but through support from his friends and his eventual success in finding the Steins;Gate world line, his self-efficacy is restored.

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