Attribution

Question 1

What is attribution?

Answer 1

Attributions are the perceived causes of a particular outcome
It is linked to motivation

Question 2

What is the process of attribution?

Answer 2

1. Outcome of event
2. Available information
3. Casual attribution
4. Expectancy of future results and affective response
5. Decision on subsequent participation

Question 3

What is the dimensionon the x-axis in Weiner’s Model of attribution?

Answer 3

Locus of causality

Question 4

What is the dimensionon the Y-axis in Weiner’s Model of attribution?

Answer 4

Stability dimension

Question 5

What is the attribution results of internal and stable?

Answer 5

Ability

Question 6

What is the attribution results of external and stable?

Answer 6

Task difficulty

Question 7

What is the attribution results of internal and unstable?

Answer 7

Effort

Question 8

What is the attribution results of external and unstable?

Answer 8

Luck

Question 9

How does the Weiner’s Model of attribution links to motivation?

Answer 9

• If the reasons given for winning are stable, the individual is motivated to achieve again
• If failure is attributed to an unstable factor, the individual is more likely to try again because there is a good chance that the outcome will change

Question 10

What is the third dimension of controllability?

Answer 10

Whether we have control over outcome or not

Question 11

What attribution reason is uncontrollable?

Answer 11

Luck, Ability, Difficulty

Question 12

What attribution reason is controllable?

Answer 12

Effort

Question 13

What is self-serving bias?

Answer 13

Sports performers who lose tend to attribute their failure to external causes, while those who succeed usually attribute their success to internal casuse

Question 14

Why do people have self-serving bias?

Answer 14

If a person blames external factors for a loss, the reasons that are given protect their own self-esteem and motivation
This bias limits the sense of shame in failure and highlighs personal achievement in success
The downside is you may be giving false reasons for performance to protect yourself, but you may never improve because the real reasons

Question 15

What is learned helplessness?

Answer 15

This refers to a belief that failure is inevitable and a feeling of hopelessness when faced with a particular situation or groups of situations

Question 16

What is mastery orientation?

Answer 16

The view that an individual will be motivated by becoming an expert in skill development or sport performance

Question 17

How does mastery orientation link to attribution?

Answer 17

• An athlete who is mastery oriented will often attribute failure to internal, controllable and unstable factors, e.g. lack of effort… and will continue to strive to become bettr at the activity
• They seek to develop their competence by acquiring new skills and mastering new situations
• The ‘need to achieve’ performers are not afraid of failing and will persist with a task until they succeed

Question 18

How does attribution retraining link to performance?

Answer 18

• Attribution retraining can optimise performance to change learned helplessness into mastrey orientation
• Many attributions that are given are subjective and are therefore not desirable
• A person who fails in a task should be encouraged to attribute to controllable, unstable factors, e.g. effort

Question 19

evaluate attribution

Answer 19

• Teachers and coaches should concentrate on the positive attributions
• If a performer feels that they lack ability, they will inevitably fail, but their attribution could be changed to ‘having the wrong tactics’ or ‘slight alternation of technique needed’.
• The performer may then be disappointed rather than frustrated and will persist with the task rather than avoid it altogether
• This process is know as attribution retraining

Question 20

Using practical examples, explain how the coach of a team can use knowledge of Winer’s Attribution Theory to maintain the motivation of a team following defeat.

Answer 20

1. Attribution - perceived reason for success or failure ore equivalant
2. Locus of causality/ stability/ controllability
3. Never attribut failure to internal-stable factors
4. e.g. lack of skill
5. Attribute loss to internal-unstable factors
6. e.g. effort
7. Attribute loss to external stable factors
8. e.g. task difficulties
9. Attribute loss to external unsatble factors
10. e.g. luck
11. Attribute loss to controllable factors
12. e.g. tactics
13. Self-serving bias
14. Attribute success to internal factors and defeat to external factors