A college administrator is talking to a new group of students at the university. He points out that it takes a lot of thought and work to get into a university, speaks of the university in glowing terms, and finally compliments the students by telling them they are smart. Meanwhile, the students are thinking they were admitted to the university because of money, cheating in high school, special preparation for the entrance exams, or their parents. What psychological effect on the new students are the administrator's statements likely to have? How might these statements have an impact on the students' future academic behavior?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The administrator is attributing admission to internal causes, such as thinking, working, and being smart. The students are attributing admission to external causes, such as money, special exam preparation, cheating, and parents. If the students adopt a more internal attribution, they will come to see themselves as more effective. If the students come to see themselves as more effective, they may try harder and improve their academic performance.