Perspectives such as behaviorism and social cognitive theory show us how the consequence (reinforcement or punishment) of a particular behavior affects the extent to which the behavior is likely to appear again. Attribution theory has cast a new light on this notion, maintaining that the consequences of behavior will affect each person's learning and future behavior differently, depending on how

Question

the individual interprets those consequences. Within the context of attribution theory:

a. Explain what motivation theorists mean when they talk about attributions.
b. Explain how students' responses to failure are likely to be different when they attribute that failure to a controllable cause or to an uncontrollable one. Give a concrete example to illustrate your explanation.
c. Describe three specific strategies you might use to foster more productive attributions in your students. In each case, use attribution theory to explain why you think the strategy will be effective.

Answer 1

Answers to the separate parts of the question are as follows:
a. An attribution is a student's explanation regarding why a specific event (e.g., a success or failure) has occurred.
b. Students are more likely to respond productively to failure—for example, to try harder or use a different strategy—if they believe they have control over the factors contributing to their failure. They are unlikely to change their behavior if they think the source of the failure is beyond their control. The response should include a concrete example illustrating the difference.
c. Possible strategies for promoting productive attributions include these