Question

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 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 learners’ 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 others. In each case, use attribution theory to explain why you think the strategy should be effective.

Answer 1

When the theorists talk about attribution it mainly means the persons perception about the rewards or consequences. The perception can be because of personal factors like the past experiences or because of the environmental factors as well. Weiner gave the Three-Dimensional model that also talks about the dimensions of attribution. The first one is the locus of control which means the perception of an event is either considered as internal or external. Another dimension is stability. So if an outcome is stable it is perceived to be the cause of the consequence every time. The third dimension that he gave was Controllability. This means that the person can either feel that the consequence is within his/her control or can perceive the consequence as something beyond his/her control. These perceptions directly impacts a persons motivation and self-esteem.

When a learner perceives the failure as uncontrollable, it really effects his/her motivation and self-esteem. E.g. If a person attributes his poor performance in an exam to his lack of abilities or intelligence, he may never try to improve or may be demotivated to put in any efforts and would constantly perform poorly. However, if the learner attributes his poor performance to his lack of focus or other controllable factors, he might stay away from distractions and work harder next time and may be able to perform much better than before.

We can use the following strategies to foster productive attributions:

1. Internalising motivation! When the rewards are intrinsic, the motivation is more likely to remain than when the rewards are extrinsic e.g. money. Helping individuals develop the intrinsic motivation would foster productive attributes. This can be done by giving them a sense of progress, by appreciating their work and their good behaviours, by recognising their efforts and being empathetic.
2. Helping individuals focus more on their strengths than weaknesses. Being optimistic and helping individuals realise their positive qualities and reinforcing them would foster positive attributions. Giving them work that is consistent with their strengths so that they develop a positive self image.
3. Giving clear feedback in the right manner! Multiple times individuals are confused about their performance and perform poorly only because they are not being guided the right way. The poor performance can be attributed to anything based of the persons perception. If we give guidance and appropriate feedback, they will more likely improve and perform better the next time which would enhance their motivation to work.