Attribution Theory-What I Have Learned

What are attributions?

The attribution theory is a cognitive theory that is centred on an individual’s personal belief system, how those beliefs affect outcomes, and influence personal expectations and behavior.  This is the theory of motivation that most directly asks the question, “Why do people do what they do?”

Where do they come from?

Sources of attributional behavior come in the form of direct and indirect cues.  A direct cue is directly related to performance-that is to say comparing one’s performance to that of others.  Indirect cues come from teachers in the form of feedback that is given to the student.  Feedback directly affects attributional behavior. Indirect cues are praise versus blame, sympathy versus anger, unsolicited help, and ability grouping.  Praise is an expression of approval, but the opposite is blame which means holding someone or something at fault. Sympathy is the capacity to mutually understand what someone is feeling, but the opposite is anger.  Anger is a feeling of extreme displeasure, hostility, or exasperation.  Unsolicited help is an attributional belief in which a teacher consistently gives a student help before it is requested thus giving the student the impression the student will not be able to complete the task.  Another indirect cue is ability grouping which tracks student’s ability and defined by labels such as high ability, honors, low-achieving, slow, average. Direct and indirect cues regarding student ability directly (and often adversely) affect the student’s perception of their own ability.

What are the functions of attributions?

 One function of attribution is self-perception, and teacher’s attributions for student performance affect student motivation and their (the students) self-perceptions.  How a student perceives him/herself is a major component of motivation.  Perceived competence, value, self-efficacy, self-worth, and goal orientation formulate a student’s belief about their own effort and ability.  Providing feedback is another function of attributions.  Teacher feedback gives students information about a growth or decline in skills.  Students make future judgments on their actual skills, and their competence via this feedback.

What can be done about debilitating attributions?

Debilitating attributions require the development of adaptive attributions.  Alderman suggests that teachers operationalize and reward effort by discussing their beliefs about effort at the beginning of the school year, give students strategies for optimizing effort such as specific memory strategies, reading comprehension strategies, practice, and seeking appropriate help.  Alderman also suggests teachers help students develop adaptive attributions by linking effort to outcome and providing appropriate feedback, suggest students document their own progress, and encourage student responsibility.

Reference

Alderman, M. K. (2008). Motivation for Achievement: Possibilities for teaching and learning. New York, NY: Routledge Inc.