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In the current study, we empirically examined the proposition that failure experiences (a) alter the nature of the relationship between self-efficacy and performance and (b) shape the trajectory of self-efficacy over time. Participants (N = 128 young adult males) were randomly assigned to an induced failure or a control condition where they completed five sessions of a complex computer-based performance task, each preceded by a measure of self-efficacy. Multiple group discontinuous latent growth modeling (MGLGM) and piecewise hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) were used to compare similarities and differences across conditions in the self-efficacy–performance relationship and in the trajectory of self-efficacy over time. The findings showed that self-efficacy decreased immediately following induced failure; an effect that endured in later performance sessions, even after typical performance levels had recovered …