Attribution Theory

What are the three main categories in attribution theory?

Locus of stability, locus of causality, and locus of control.

What does locus of stability refer to?

Whether success or failure is stable or unstable over time.

Give examples of stable vs unstable factors in locus of stability.

Stable – ability, Unstable – luck.

What does locus of causality refer to?

Whether the cause originates from within the individual or from external factors.

Give examples of internal vs external causes in locus of causality.

Internal – effort, External – competition.

What does locus of control refer to?

Whether the individual has control over the cause or not.

Give examples of controllable vs uncontrollable factors in locus of control.

Controllable – strategy, Uncontrollable – environmental conditions.

Table

What is a potential difficulty when differentiating attributions?

Distinguishing between internal and controllable as well as external and uncontrollable factors.

What are internal and controllable factors related to?

Internal factors relate to the person, controllable means they could do something about it.

What are external and uncontrollable factors related to?

External factors are not related to the person, uncontrollable is out of their control.

Give an example of an internal, controllable cause of failure.

I didn’t train hard.

Give an example of an internal, uncontrollable cause of failure.

I was afflicted by a chronic condition that day.

Give an example of an external, controllable cause of failure.

My equipment was bad.

Give an example of an external, uncontrollable cause of failure.

The weather was not to my preference.

What is a self-serving bias?

The tendency to state causes for success or failure in a way that protects self-esteem.

How can learned helplessness develop in attribution theory?

From blaming losses on stable and internal factors that are out of one’s control.

How can stable and internal factors within control affect an athlete?

They can motivate continued training if the current regimen appears successful.

What limitation does attribution theory have?

It focuses on why success/failure happened, not on motivation or improvement.

What is task-oriented motivation?

Focusing on improving personal skills and achieving personal goals.

What does low task orientation indicate?

A lack of motivation toward self-improvement.

What is ego-oriented motivation?

Focusing on comparing oneself to others and trying to be better than them.

What does high ego orientation mean?

A person is mostly focused on winning or being better than others.

Why can high ego orientation and low task orientation be detrimental?

It can reduce motivation and persistence due to lack of progress, leading to low satisfaction.

Give an example of high ego, low task orientation in team sports.

Focusing on individual performance reduces team performance, potentially leading to team losses.

Give an example of high ego, low task orientation in individual sports.

Self-improvement stops, and with increased competition, success may no longer continue.

How does high ego orientation affect confidence?

Confidence is high if perceived ability is high.

What happens when perceived ability is low in high ego-oriented individuals?

It can lead to anxiety, frustration, and defensive attitudes.

Why do ego challenges affect self-worth?

Being challenged can feel like criticism of personal self-worth, leading to defensive responses.