Attribution Theory

Question 1

What is attribution?

Answer 1

• reasons given for a sports result
• Perceived causes of a particular outcome (success/failure)
• Impact motivation
• Impact future performance

Question 2

What is self serving bias?

Answer 2

• Someone’s tendency to attribute failure to external reasons
• excuse to explain poor performance

Question 3

Example of self serving bias

Answer 3

‘I lost because the pitch was too slippery’

Question 4

Give an advantage and disadvantage of self serving bias

Answer 4

• protects self esteem/motivation
• doesn’t address reason for loss

Question 5

Give football dimension examples

Answer 5

Stable, internal = I can’t shield the ball as don’t have enough strength
Unstable, external = it was a bad ref so we didn’t win
stable, external = didn’t win as the other team made no mistakes and out played us
unstable, internal = made the team as I played well last game

Question 6

Advantages of the locus of causality model

Answer 6

• can be applied to sport in a general sense
• can be used to promote outcomes that can be motivating

Question 7

Disadvantages of the locus of causality model

Answer 7

• not sport specific

Question 8

Name the four components within the locus of causality

Answer 8

• ability
• task difficulty
• effort
• luck

Question 9

Definition of stability

Answer 9

Whether attributes are changeable or not

Question 10

Definition of causality

Answer 10

whether attributes are within or the environment

Question 11

What was the third dimensions added?

Answer 11

controlability