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attitude theory

Introduction to Attribution Theory

  • Attribution theory analyzes the reasons given by coaches and players for their success or failure in sports.
  • Importance of attributions:
    • Affect motivation levels.
    • Influence future performance.
  • Example: A tennis player experiencing poor performance may attribute it to various factors, such as:
    • Poor technique
    • Lack of practice
    • Attributing to poor technique may lead them to seek the coach's help for improvement.

Weiner's Attribution Theory

  • Coaches and players categorize results into four classifications or combinations:
    • Ability
    • Task difficulty
    • Effort
    • Luck

Weiner's Attribution Model

  • Locus of causality is divided into stable and unstable factors:
    • Stable Factors:
    • Ability: considered an internal and stable factor since it generally does not change in the short term.
    • Task difficulty: classified as an external and stable factor, but this can vary depending on the context.
    • Unstable Factors:
    • Effort: internal and unstable, as it varies depending on the individual's determination and application.
    • Luck: external and unstable, subject to environmental changes.
  • Key points about control:
    • Athletes have control over effort.
    • Coaches can influence task difficulty and impact ability.
  • Attributing failure to controllable aspects can prevent learned helplessness.

Characteristics of Attributions

  • Ability:
    • Internal-stable; unlikely to change short-term.
    • Example: "We were more skillful."
  • Effort:
    • Internal-unstable; varies with individual application.
    • Example: "We tried hard."
  • Task Difficulty:
    • External-stable; can change in different contexts.
    • Example: Conditions during play might influence difficulty.
  • Luck:
    • External-unstable; the performer has no control over this factor.
    • Example: Weather conditions affecting performance.

Performance Attribution Patterns

  • High Achievers:
    • Attribute success to internal factors.
    • Attribute failure to external factors.
    • Maintain high motivation to achieve.
    • Goals are task-oriented and challenging.
  • Low Achievers:
    • Attribute success to external factors.
    • Dismiss failure as internal causes.
    • Lower motivation to achieve, high motivation to avoid failure.
    • Goals are outcome-oriented and may involve very difficult or very easy tasks.
    • Perform poorly in evaluative settings.

Errors in Attribution

  • Common errors include:
    • Self-Serving Bias:
    • Individual tendency to attribute successes to personal effort while attributing failures to external factors.
    • Internal factors provoke strong emotions such as:
    • Pride: "The hard work I put in paid off."
    • Shame: "I let myself down by losing my temper."
    • High achievers focus on stability in their successful winnowings and insist the failure is due to external unstable variables like luck.
  • Actor-Observer Effect:
    • Definition: The tendency to attribute others' behaviors to dispositional factors while attributing one's own behavior to situational factors.
    • Example: Teenagers attribute their risky driving to being late while citing peers' risky behavior as being careless.

Explanations for the Actor-Observer Effect

  1. Perceptual Focus:

    • Actors focus on external factors affecting their behaviors.
    • Observers highlight internal factors when assessing others' actions.

  2. Informational Differences:

    • Actors have experience and knowledge that influences their perception of situational controls over their behaviors.

Examples of the Actor-Observer Effect Application

  • Football Penalty Kicks:
    • Actor's Perspective: Missed penalty due to poor equipment.
    • Observer's Perspective: The player is bad at shooting.
  • Gymnastics Routine:
    • Actor's View: Stumble due to improper equipment.
    • Observer's View: Lack of balance.
  • Basketball Free Throws:
    • Actor: Consistent misses due to net height.
    • Observer: Player is lacking skill.
  • Track and Field Sprint Race:
    • Actor: Lost due to slippery track.
    • Observer: Person is not fast enough.
  • Tennis Match:
    • Actor: Double faults due to court conditions.
    • Observer: Player is inaccurate.

Learned Helplessness

  • Definition: The belief one has no control over certain events over time, leading to feelings of hopelessness.
  • Example: A gymnast experiencing repeated failures in competitions may resign to poor expectations leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure.
  • Importance of Attribution Retraining:
    • Focus on positive attributions and eliminate negative feelings.
    • Redirect focus to external factors that can change.
    • Effort as an unstable, alterable aspect.
  • Coaching Strategies:
    • Consider tactical changes, blame external issues like poor equipment for failure.
    • Avoiding personal failure attribution and emphasizing learnable skills.

Self-Confidence and Self-Efficacy

  • Self-Confidence:
    • General belief in the ability to meet sport/activity demands.
  • Self-Efficacy:
    • Specific to situations and variable.
  • Strategies for increasing self-efficacy include:
    • Effective and individualized goal-setting with SMART goals.
    • Routine and mental rehearsal to control arousal and improve performance.

Conclusion and Overview

  • Attribution theory encompasses athletes' reasoning for success or failure.
  • Variability in performance occurs as people attribute outcomes to four classifications.
  • Acknowledging learned helplessness and utilizing attribution retraining can help restore motivation and confidence.
  • The relevance of self-confidence and self-efficacy is critical for athletes dealing with personal performance expectations and pressures.