ATTRIBUTION THEORY ATTRIBUTION THEORY LOOKS AT THE REASONS

ATTRIBUTION THEORY • ATTRIBUTION THEORY LOOKS AT THE REASONS GIVEN BY COACHES AND PLAYERS THEMSELVES TO ACCOUNT FOR SUCCESSES AND FAILURES IN SPORT. • THERE ARE STRONG LINKS BETWEEN ATTRIBUTION AND ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVATION.

TWO ATTRIBUTIONAL STYLES • WHAT DO THEY BOTH ATTRIBUTE TO THEIR SUCCESS / FAILURE? THIS IS CALLED ATTRIBUTION!

WHAT FACTORS DID THEY ATTRIBUTE SUCCESS OR FAILURE TO? • WHAT OTHER FACTORS CAN YOU THINK OF? • CAN YOU PUT THEM INTO 4 CATEGORIES. RE F

OF THE FOUR THAT YOU HAVE CHOSEN WHICH ONES ARE INTERNAL FACTORS AND INWHICH OTHER ARE WORDS EXTERNAL? WHETHER ATTRIBUTION COMES FROM WITHIN THE PERSON (INTERNAL) WHETHER ATTRIBUTION COMES FORM EXTERNAL ELEMENTS

IN OTHER WORDS WHETHER ATTRIBUTION IS CHANGEABLE WHETHER ATTRIBUTION IS UNCHANGEABLE OF THE FOUR THAT YOU HAVE CHOSEN WHICH ONES ARE STABLE OR UNSTABLE?

WEINER’S ATTRIBUTION MODEL (1971)

LOCUS OF CAUSALITY ATTRIBUTIONS Internal External Locus of causality: indicates whether the attribution relates to factors that are external or internal to the performer. Ability Task Difficult y Effort and ability represent internal factors while task difficulty and luck are external (environmental variables). Effort Luck

EXTERNAL

INTERNAL FACTORS Ability – effort

WEINER’S ATTRIBUTION MODEL (1971)

ATTRIBUTION THEORY: STABILITY • STABILITY REFERS TO THE DEGREE OF PERMANENCE ASSOCIATED WITH AN ATTRIBUTION FACTOR. • A STABLE FACTOR IS CONSIDERED PERMANENT AND UNCHANGEABLE • ABILITY

ATTRIBUTION THEORY: UNSTABLE • STABILITY REFERS TO THE DEGREE OF PERMANENCE ASSOCIATED WITH AN ATTRIBUTION FACTOR. • A STABLE FACTOR IS CONSIDERED TEMPORARY AND CHANGEABLE • EFFORT

WEINER’S ATTRIBUTION MODEL (1971)

PERSONAL REFLECTION • NOTE A GAME OR EVENT THAT YOU HAVE ATTRIBUTED (RIGHTLY OR WRONGLY) THE FAILURE OF AN OUTCOME. • THIS CAN BE YOUR OWN PERFORMANCE OR THE FINAL SCORE. WHAT DID YOU SAY AT THE TIME WAS THE REASON FOR THE FAILURE? • NOTE A GAME OR EVENT THAT YOU HAVE ATTRIBUTED (RIGHTLY OR WRONGLY) THE SUCCESS OF AN SPORTING EVENT. THIS CAN BE YOUR OWN PERFORMANCE OR THE FINAL SCORE. WHAT DID YOU SAY AT THE TIME WAS THE REASON FOR THE SUCCESS? How would this • Link this to the stability: Was it due to luck of affects a persons ability? expectation of future outcome?

ATTRIBUTION THEORY Type of Attribution Stability Impact: Winning Example Losing Example

ATTRIBUTION THEORY: STABILITY • IF THE REASON FOR WINNING IS STABLE, THE INDIVIDUAL IS MOTIVATED TO ACHIEVE AGAIN. IT WAS BECAUSE I HAD THE ABILITY, I ABLE TO COMPLETE THE TASK A THIS LEVEL. • IF FAILURE IS ATTRIBUTE TO INSTABLE FACTORS, THE INDIVIDUAL IS MORE LIKELY TO TRY AGAIN BECAUSE THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THAT THE OUTCOME WILL

ATTRIBUTION THEORY: UNSTABLE • IF THE REASON FOR WINNING IS UNSTABLE, THE INDIVIDUAL IS DEMOTIVATED BECAUSE THE WIN MAY BE DUE TO LUCK. • IF FAILURE IS ATTRIBUTE TO STABLE FACTORS, THE INDIVIDUAL IS MORE LIKELY TO NOT TRY THE TASK AGAIN. • “I LOST BECAUSE I’M

ATTRIBUTION THEORY Type of Attribution Stability Causality Winning Example I won today because… Losing Example “I lost because I’m not good enough, or they were too good”. I lost today because…

CAUSALITY INTERNAL FACTORS • INTERNAL ATTRIBUTIONS SHOULD BE USED TO REINFORCE SUCCESS, FOR EXAMPLE Internal attributions for ACHIEVEMENT IS THE success would elevate RESULT OF ABILITY confidence and endorse AND EFFORT. future expectation of high achievement.

ATTRIBUTION: LOW ACHIEVERS EXTERNAL FACTORS • LOW ACHIEVERS OR PEOPLE WHO ADOPT AVOIDANCE BEHAVIOUR TEND TO ATTRIBUTE A LACK OF SUCCESS TO INTERNAL FACTORS (E. G. LACK OF ABILITY). • LOW ACHIEVERS ALSO TEND TO ATTRIBUTE SUCCESS TO EXTERNAL FACTORS (E. G. LUCK). • THIS TYPE OF ATTRIBUTION