Attribution Theory

Question 1

What is attributions?

Answer 1

Perceived causes of particular a outcome, for example the reasons we give for the result we get

Question 2

What happens when attributions are used correctly?

Answer 2

Increased motivation of a performer

Question 3

What happens when attributions are used incorrectly?

Answer 3

Motivation of performer decreases

Question 4

What is Weiners model of attribution?

Answer 4

Consists of 4 main attributes what we put winning or losing down to:

-Effort- how hard athletes try
-Ability- better or worse
-luck- good or bad decisions made
-difficulty- quality of challenge

Question 5

What are the two dimensions of the weiners model of attribution?

Answer 5

-Causality- internal (effort) or external ( luck)

-stability- stable ( ability and difficulty)/ fixed or unstable (effort and luck)/ changeable

Question 6

If a coach is using self- serving bias, what attributes are responsible for winning?

Answer 6

Attribute for success= internal causes ( ability and effort)

Question 7

If a coach is using the self serving bias, what attributes are responsible for losing?

Answer 7

Attribute to defeat= external causes ( task difficulty and luck)

Question 8

Why is the self serving bias used by coaches?

Answer 8

To protect and increase self confidence and motivation

Question 9

Weiners model wasn’t originally specific to sport, so what was added?

Answer 9

A third dimension, known as controllability

Question 10

What does the controllability dimension look at?

Answer 10

Looks at whether a sports outcome is controlled or uncontrolled

Question 11

What is the one and only attribute classified as “controllable”?

Answer 11

Effort, the other three are “uncontrollable

Question 12

How is success increased, using controllable attributes?

Answer 12

-Coaches will praise controllable factors (effort) when success occurs.

• also punish controllable factors (effort) when failure has occurred

Question 13

Why doesn’t focusing on uncontrollable factors raise motivation/ confidence or increase success?

Answer 13

As they are factors outside the performers control

Question 14

What is formed if attributes aren’t used correctly?

Answer 14

Learned helplessness

Question 15

What is learned helplessness?

Answer 15

Failure is inevitable/ feeling of hopelessness

Question 16

Give an example of general helplessness and specific helplessness?

Answer 16

General= “I am hopeless at sports”

Specific= “I am hopeless at football”

Question 17

Explain why high achievers don’t experienced learned helplessness?

Answer 17

-as they contribute failure to effort (controllable and unstable). Not afraid to fail. See failure as a learning experience

Question 18

Explain why low achievers experience learned helplessness?

Answer 18

Attribute failure to uncontrollable factors (luck, ability and task difficulty). This leads to learned helplessness as they feel out of control of the outcome of their events.

Question 19

What attributes do successful performers/ high achievers attribute failure and success to?

Answer 19

-failure= effort (internal, unstable and controllable)

-success= effort (internal, unstable and controllable) and ability (internal, stable and uncontrollable)

Question 20

How do successful performers have mastery orientation?

Answer 20

Motivated by becoming a master or expert

Question 21

What to unsuccessful performers/ low achievers attribute failure to?

Answer 21

Attribute failure to = ability, task difficulty and luck (uncontrollable, stable, internal and external) factors

-this leads to learned helplessness

Question 22

What is attribution retraining used for?

Answer 22

Turn learned helplessness into mastery orientation.

Question 23

How is attribution training done?

Answer 23

Done by reassessing your attributions and start doing what high achievers do,

For example= start attributing success to effort and ability

Start attributing failure to effort