Weiner's attribution theory

Question 1

What are attributions?

Answer 1

Attributions are perceived reasons/causes for winning/losing

Question 2

What is Weiner’s attribution theory?

Answer 2

A means for understanding the reasons performers give for their performance (what caused them to win or lose)

Question 3

What are the factors that the attribution theory is said to do with?

Answer 3

Ability - inherited talents
Task difficulty -standard of competition
Effort - Concentration/practice
Luck - Weather/ref decsions

Question 4

Explain the locus of causality

Answer 4

• Where the performer places the reason for the win/loss
• This might be internal (ability or motivation) or external (luck/task difficulty)

Question 5

Explain stability

Answer 5

• Refers to the degree of permanence
• Could be stable (task difficulty/ability) or unstable (luck/motivation)
• This can change from week to week or within different minutes of a match

Question 6

Explain self serving bias

Answer 6

• Claiming success was down to internal factors and blaming other things for a loss - external
• Correct use of attributions to protect self-esteem

Question 7

Explain learned helplessness

Answer 7

• Blaming loss due to stable reasons - failure is inevitable
  -Expectation of failure leads to a loss of motivation or giving up (avoidance behaviour)
• Feeling of having no control

Question 8

Explain attribution retraining

Answer 8

Attribution retraining -
- Changing the reasons for failure and realising failure isn’t inevitable
Attributions for failure - ensure these are external-unstable factors (luck/task difficulty)
Attributions for success - ensure these are internal factors (ability and effort)

Question 9

Other than attribution retraining, what are other strategies to avoid learned helplessness?

Answer 9

• Provide opportunities for success
• Positive feedback
• Set performance goals other than outcome goals
• Mental rehearsal
• Positive self-talk