1. Jan Roscoe Publications WJEC Examinations GCE Physical Education A2 Unit 4 PE4 Performance, Provision and Participation in Physical Education Section 1 Refining Sporting Performance and Enhancing Health Part 12: Attribution theory

2. indexpreviousnext WJEC A2 Level Physical Education Unit 4 section 1 Part 12 2 Attribution theoryINDEX 33 - ATTRIBUTION 44 - ATTRIBUTION - WEINER’S MODEL 55 - WEINER’S MODEL - LOCUS OF CAUSALITY, ABILITY, EFFORT 66 - WEINER’S MODEL - STABILITY, TASK DIFFICULTY, LUCK 77 - ATTRIBUTION 1010 - CONTROLLABILITY - THE THIRD DIMENSION 1212 - THE SELF-SERVING BIAS 1515 - THE ATTRIBUTION PROCESS 1616 - BEHAVIOUR, ATTRIBUTION AND MOTIVATION 1818 - ERRORS IN ATTRIBUTION 2020 - LEARNED HELPLESSNESS (LH) 2121 - LEARNED HELPLESSNESS (LH) - GENERAL, SPECIFIC 2222 - LEARNED HELPLESSNESS (LH) - ATTRIBUTION RETRAINING

3. indexpreviousnext WJEC A2 Level Physical Education Unit 4 section 1 Part 12 3 Attribution theoryATTRIBUTION the process of giving reasons for behaviour and ascribing causes for events example: the player played badly today because the weather was poor

4. indexpreviousnext WJEC A2 Level Physical Education Unit 4 section 1 Part 12 4 Attribution theoryATTRIBUTION WEINER’S MODEL has four attributions: –ability –effort –task difficulty –luck arranged in two dimensions: –LOCUS OF CAUSALITY –STABILITY with a possible third dimension: –CONTROLLABILITY (not shown on diagram)

5. indexpreviousnext WJEC A2 Level Physical Education Unit 4 section 1 Part 12 5 Attribution theory WEINER’S MODEL LOCUS OF CAUSALITY –is the performance outcome caused by INTERNAL factors –under the control of the performer –ability or effort EXTERNAL factors –beyond the control of the performer –task difficulty or luck ABILITY –the extent of the performer’s capacity to cope with a sporting task EFFORT –the amount of mental and physical endeavour the performer gives to the task

6. indexpreviousnext WJEC A2 Level Physical Education Unit 4 section 1 Part 12 6 Attribution theory WEINER’S MODEL STABILITY –is the performance outcome caused by: STABLE factors –fixed factors which don’t change with time –ability or task difficulty UNSTABLE factors –factors which can vary with time –effort or luck TASK DIFFICULTY –the extent of the problems posed by the task including the strength of the opposition LUCK –factors attributable to chance –such as the weather or the state of the pitch

7. indexpreviousnext WJEC A2 Level Physical Education Unit 4 section 1 Part 12 7 Attribution theoryATTRIBUTION SUCCESS explained by internal attributions FAILURE explained by external attributions FUTURE EXPECTATIONS related to stability if we attribute success to stable factors or if we attribute failure to stable factors then we expect the same next time

8. indexpreviousnext WJEC A2 Level Physical Education Unit 4 section 1 Part 12 8 Attribution theoryATTRIBUTION HIGH ACHIEVERS attribute success to internal factors and attribute failure to external factors LOW ACHIEVERS attribute success to external factors and attribute failure to internal factors the process of changing attributions is called attribution retraining Wikimedia commons - Russell Garner

9. indexpreviousnext WJEC A2 Level Physical Education Unit 4 section 1 Part 12 9 Attribution theoryATTRIBUTION FEELINGS ABOUT SPORT attributions affect –pride –satisfaction –expectancy –learned helplessness –avoidance Helen Roscoe Photography

10. indexpreviousnext WJEC A2 Level Physical Education Unit 4 section 1 Part 12 10 Attribution theory CONTROLLABILITY - THE THIRD DIMENSION LOCUS OF CONTROL are attributions under the control of the performer or not? the locus of control dimension relates to the intensity of a performer’s feelings of pride and satisfaction, shame and guilt pride and satisfaction are maximised if success is attributed to internal controllable factors such as ability and effort then motivation would be enhanced

11. indexpreviousnext WJEC A2 Level Physical Education Unit 4 section 1 Part 12 11 Attribution theory CONTROLLABILITY - THE THIRD DIMENSION LOCUS OF CONTROL if success were attributed to external and uncontrollable factors (such as luck) and the fact that the task was very easy then satisfaction would be less intense and motivation less if failure is attributed to internal controllable factors such as lack of ability and lack of effort then the overpowering emotion would be dissatisfaction and motivation would be reduced

12. indexpreviousnext WJEC A2 Level Physical Education Unit 4 section 1 Part 12 12 Attribution theory THE SELF-SERVING BIAS successful performers tend to take credit for success they do this by attributing success to their own overwhelmingly outstanding qualities (natural ability, ability to respond to the competitive situation) thereby enhancing their feelings of pride and worth enhancing feelings of self-esteem Wikimedia commons/Charlie Cowins

13. indexpreviousnext WJEC A2 Level Physical Education Unit 4 section 1 Part 12 13 Attribution theory THE SELF-SERVING BIAS successful performers tend to blame external factors for failure failure is automatically attributed to avoid internal controllable and stable factors (even if such factors may be true) this is the self-serving bias, people tend to give attributions to protect their self-esteem rather than look for true attributions which would reflect the reality of the situation Wikimedia commons/Michael Kjaer

14. indexpreviousnext WJEC A2 Level Physical Education Unit 4 section 1 Part 12 14 Attribution theory THE SELF-SERVING BIAS unsuccessful performers do not always attribute failure to external factors and therefore do not protect their self-esteem hence reducing motivation Wikimedia commons/jonnyr1 Neal Bishop - Notts County

15. indexpreviousnext WJEC A2 Level Physical Education Unit 4 section 1 Part 12 15 Attribution theory THE ATTRIBUTION PROCESS

16. indexpreviousnext WJEC A2 Level Physical Education Unit 4 section 1 Part 12 16 Attribution theory BEHAVIOUR, ATTRIBUTION and MOTIVATION HIGH ACHIEVERLOW ACHIEVER HIGH ACHIEVERLOW ACHIEVER motivation?high motive to achieve successlow motive to achieve success low motive to avoid failurehigh motive to avoid failure low motive to avoid failurehigh motive to avoid failure focuses on pride on successfocuses on shame and worry about failure focuses on pride on successfocuses on shame and worry about failure attributionsascribes success to stableascribes success to unstable internal and controllable factorsexternal uncontrollable factors ascribes failure to unstableascribes failure to stable external uncontrollable factorsinternal controllable factors

17. indexpreviousnext WJEC A2 Level Physical Education Unit 4 section 1 Part 12 17 Attribution theory HIGH ACHIEVERLOW ACHIEVER HIGH ACHIEVERLOW ACHIEVER goals adoptedadopts task oriented goalsadopts outcome oriented goals task choiceseeks challenging tasks andavoids challenge, seeks very difficult competitive situationsor very easy tasks or competition performanceperforms well in front of performs badly in front of evaluative audiencesevaluative audiences BEHAVIOUR, ATTRIBUTION and MOTIVATION

18. indexpreviousnext WJEC A2 Level Physical Education Unit 4 section 1 Part 12 18 Attribution theory ERRORS IN ATTRIBUTION THE ACTOR-OBSERVER EFFECT this is the tendency for actors to attribute their own actions to situational or external causes (such as blaming the circumstances - weather, state of the pitch and so on) whereas observers attribute the same behaviour of the actor to dispositional or internal factors (such as blaming the ability or personal choices of the actor when facing tactical decisions in a game) the actor-observer effect is an example of an attribution bias

19. indexpreviousnext WJEC A2 Level Physical Education Unit 4 section 1 Part 12 19 Attribution theory ERRORS IN ATTRIBUTION THE ACTOR-OBSERVER EFFECT GENDER DIFFERENCES girls tend to have attributions consistent with those of low achievers boys tend to have higher expectations of success Wikimedia commons/Grant Williamson

20. indexpreviousnext WJEC A2 Level Physical Education Unit 4 section 1 Part 12 20 Attribution theory LEARNED HELPLESSNESS (LH) LEARNED HELPLESSNESS a belief acquired over time that one has no control over events that failure is inevitable a feeling of hopelessness

21. indexpreviousnext WJEC A2 Level Physical Education Unit 4 section 1 Part 12 21 Attribution theory LEARNED HELPLESSNESS (LH) GENERAL (GLOBAL) LH a person attributes failure to internal or stable factors applied to all sports ‘I am useless at all sports’ SPECIFIC LH a person attributes difficulties to internal or stable factors applied to one specific sport ‘I am good at soccer but hopeless at cricket’

22. indexpreviousnext WJEC A2 Level Physical Education Unit 4 section 1 Part 12 22 Attribution theory LEARNED HELPLESSNESS (LH) ATTRIBUTION RETRAINING low achievers need to learn to attribute success and failure to the same reasons as high achievers success to stable factors failure to unstable factors this would raise the self-efficacy of the performer for his or her sport couldn’t be helped!!! - the track was slippy

23. indexpreviousnext WJEC A2 Level Physical Education Unit 4 section 1 Part 12 23 Attribution theory ATTRIBUTION RETRAINING this heading describes the process by which a performer is advised to change his attribution for poor performance a low achiever will tend to attribute failure to lack of his or her ability (internal factor) which produces the feeling of shame and low self-esteem and helplessness in the face of further situations which might produce failure

24. indexpreviousnext WJEC A2 Level Physical Education Unit 4 section 1 Part 12 24 Attribution theory ATTRIBUTION RETRAINING helplessness in the face of further situations which might produce failure will produce the need to be trained to attribute failure to an external factor (such as the weather) which is the same as a high achiever which should produce a feeling of disappointment (rather than helplessness) hopefully this will initiate a feeling of determination and seeking out of further opportunities to improve hence improve motivation to succeed

25. indexpreviousnext WJEC A2 Level Physical Education Unit 4 section 1 Part 12 25 Attribution theory ATTRIBUTION RETRAINING