In Psychology, competence is the ability to perform tasks, solve problems, and meet the demands of life using one’s understanding, skills, and judgment. For instance, a child demonstrating competence in social scenarios will be able to make friends and settle arguments, whereas a competent adult will perform and take charge of sophisticated work activities.
Competence is generally regarded as having cognitive, emotional, and social elements. Using the terminology of reflectance motivation, Robert White (1959) described the capacity of human beings to engage with their surrounding world as reflectance motivation. Developmental psychologists, too, firmly believe in competence as a sign of healthy development and, as such, regard problem solving, communication, and self-regulation as significant milestones. Competence frameworks are equally prominent in educational and organizational psychology to evaluate performance and diagnose gaps.
From a clinical perspective, competence focuses on the ability to grasp and make relevant decisions which is especially applicable in legal and medical domains. It reminds us of the psychological practice’s ethical principle of freedom and accountability.