C1.2.4 Attribution Theory (HL)

What does Attribution Theory explain?

How people explain the causes of success or failure.

Give an example of an attribution for success.

“I won because I trained hard.”

Give an example of an attribution for failure.

“I lost because they got lucky.”

What can learned helplessness result from in Attribution Theory?

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

Why does this lead to learned helplessness?

Because people feel nothing can be done to change outcomes.

How can stable and internal factors that are within control affect motivation?

They can create expectations of success and motivate continued training.

How many categories are used in Attribution Theory?

Three categories.

What is locus of stability?

Whether the cause is stable or unstable.

What is locus of causality?

Whether the cause is internal or external.

What is locus of control?

Whether the cause is within or out of one’s control.

What are internal factors in Attribution Theory?

Factors related to the person and controllable.

What do internal controllable factors allow an athlete to do?

Take action to improve performance.

What are external factors?

Factors not related to the person.

Are external factors controllable?

No, they are out of one’s control.

What is high ego orientation?

A focus on winning or being better than others.

What is low task orientation?

A lack of motivation toward self-improvement.

Why are high ego orientation and low task orientation together detrimental?

They reduce motivation and persistence due to lack of progress.

What can this lack of progress lead to?

Low satisfaction and less winning.

How can high ego orientation affect team sports performance?

Individuals focus on themselves, reducing team performance and increasing losses.

How can high ego orientation affect individual sports?

Self-improvement may stop as competition increases, leading to reduced success.

How does high ego orientation interact with perceived ability?

It increases confidence when perceived ability is high.

What happens when perceived ability is low with high ego orientation?

It can cause anxiety and frustration.

Why does ego challenge affect self-worth?

Because performance is closely linked to identity.

Why is this especially strong in individual sports?

Because performance and ability are the main indicators of success.

What attitude can result when ego is threatened?

Defensive attitudes.