Attribution theory
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Attribution theory is an influential contemporary social psychology theory developed by Fritz Heider[1], Harold Kelley, Edward E. Jones, Lee Ross, and Bernard Weiner[2]. It incorporates behavior modification in the sense that it emphasizes the idea that learners are strongly motivated by the pleasant outcome of being able to feel good about themselves. It incorporates cognitive theory and self-efficacy theory in the sense that it emphasizes that learners' current self-perceptions will strongly influence the ways in which they will interpret the success or failure of their current efforts and hence their future tendency to perform these same behaviors[3].
The theory explores how individuals "attribute" causes to events and behavior.
Elements of Attribution Theory
Developed by Bernard Weiner
1. Locus - location of the cause—internal (dispositional) or external (situational) to the person
- Closely related to feelings of self-esteem
- If success or failure is attributed to internal factors, success will lead to pride and increased motivation, whereas failure will diminish self-esteem
2. Stability - whether the cause is likely to stay the same in the near future or can change
- Closely related to expectations about the future
- If students attribute their failure to stable factors such as the difficulty of the subject, they will expect to fail in that subject in the future
3. Controllability - whether the person can control the cause
- Related to ambitions such as anger, pity, gratitude, or shame
- If we feel responsible for our failures, we may feel guilt
- If we feel responsible for our successes, we may feel proud
- Failing at a task we cannot control can lead to shame or anger
Covariation Theory
Developed by Harold Kelley examines how people decide whether an internal or an external attribution will be made.
The theory divides the way people attribute causes into two types.
- "External" or "situational" attribution assigns causality to an outside factor, such as the weather.
- "Internal" or "dispositional" attribution assigns causality to factors within the person, such as their own level of intelligence or other variables that make the individual responsible for the event.
The covariation model has been developed by H. H. Kelley.
See also
- Attributional bias
- Fundamental attribution error
- Causation
- Educational psychology
- Correspondent inference theory
- Locus of control
- Explanatory style
- Attribution (psychology)
- Self-serving bias
References
- ^ Heider, Fritz. (1958). The Psychology of Interpersonal Relations. New York: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 0-471-36833-4
- ^ Weiner, B. (1974). Achievement motivation and attribution theory. Morristown, N.J.: General Learning Press.
- ^ "Attribution Theory". Retrieved 2011-02-01.
- ^ Second Canadian Edition of Educational Psychology, by Anita Woolfolk, Philip Winne, and Nancy Perry.
- Woolfolk, Anita (2007). Educational Psychology. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc..
- Vockell, Edward L (2001). Chapter 5, Educational Psychology: A Practical Approach.