Major Concept Summary: Attributional Style

ED 304: Ed Psych and Human Development

Author: Cole Rosenbalm

Validated by: Emily Walton 2/2/23, Rebekah Black 2/4/23, Glenn Bowler 2/4/23, Ben Latham 2/3/23, Trista Hunt 3/3/23

Disclosure: ChatGPT3 was used in the creation of this resource

Attributional style refers to the way in which individuals explain the causes of events, particularly their own successes or failures. It is characterized by three main dimensions: internal-external, stable-unstable, and global-specific.

Internal-external attribution style refers to the way in which individuals explain the causes of events or outcomes in their lives. Internal attributions refer to causes that are attributed to one's own personal characteristics, such as ability, effort, or personality, while external attributions refer to causes that are attributed to external factors, such as luck, situational factors, or the actions of others.

The concept of locus of control is closely related to internal-external attribution style, as it refers to an individual's beliefs about the extent to which they can control the events and outcomes in their lives. Individuals with an internal locus of control tend to make more internal attributions and believe that their own actions and efforts determine their success or failure, while individuals with an external locus of control tend to make more external attributions and believe that external factors, such as luck or fate, are the main determinants of their success or failure. See the following video explaining in further locus of control:

Self-efficacy is another related concept that refers to an individual's belief in their ability to successfully perform a specific task or accomplish a goal. Individuals with high self-efficacy tend to have an internal locus of control and believe that their own efforts and abilities are the main determinants of their success, while individuals with low self-efficacy tend to have an external locus of control and believe that external factors are the main determinants of their success.

Together, these concepts provide insight into how individuals perceive and explain the causes of events and outcomes in their lives, and how their beliefs about their own abilities and control over their lives can impact their motivation, attitude, and overall well-being.

Stable-unstable attribution style refers to the way in which individuals explain the causes of events or outcomes in their lives in terms of stability over time. A stable attribution is one in which the cause is seen as something that is unlikely to change, such as an inherent characteristic of the person or situation. An unstable attribution is one in which the cause is seen as something that is likely to change, such as the specific circumstances of the situation.

The concept of growth and fixed mindsets is closely related to stable-unstable attribution style. A growth mindset is the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort and learning. Those with a growth mindset tend to make unstable attributions, believing that failure is caused by a lack of effort or lack of understanding and can be improved by putting in more effort and learning from their mistakes. On the other hand, a fixed mindset is the belief that abilities and intelligence are fixed traits that cannot be changed. Those with a fixed mindset tend to make stable attributions, believing that failure is caused by a lack of innate ability and cannot be improved through effort.

An example of one person with an unstable attribution style, or growth mindset is: A student receives a poor grade on a test and attributes the failure to not studying enough and focuses on studying more to improve their grade. On the other hand, a student who has a stable attribution, or fixed mindset, receives a poor grade on a test and attributes the failure to lack of intelligence and does not put in the effort to study more and improve their grade.

See the following video explanation of growth vs. fixed mindset

In summary, stable-unstable attribution style, growth mindset and fixed mindset are closely related concepts that play a role in how individuals perceive and explain the causes of events and outcomes in their lives and how they approach or face adversity. Individuals with a stable attribution style tend to believe that failure is caused by inherent characteristics that cannot be changed, while those with an unstable attribution style tend to believe that failure is caused by factors that can be changed with effort.

Global-specific attribution style refers to the way in which individuals explain the causes of events or outcomes in their lives in terms of the scope of the event. A global attribution is one in which the cause is seen as something that applies to many or most situations, such as a personal characteristic or a general tendency. A specific attribution is one in which the cause is seen as something that is limited to a specific situation.

Catastrophizing is a related concept that refers to the tendency to exaggerate the negative consequences of an event or outcome. Those who tend to make global attributions also tend to make catastrophic predictions about the future, believing that their failure will have negative consequences for many areas of their lives and that it is an indication of their overall incompetence.

In summary, attributional style is a concept that refers to the way in which individuals explain the causes of events or outcomes in their lives. It encompasses three main domains: internal-external attribution style, stable-unstable attribution style and global-specific attribution style. Internal-external attribution style refers to how individuals attribute the causes of events or outcomes to their own personal characteristics or external factors. Stable-unstable attribution style refers to how individuals explain the causes of events or outcomes in terms of stability over time. Global-specific attribution style refers to how individuals explain the causes of events or outcomes in terms of the scope of the event. These domains of attributional style play a significant role in shaping an individual's mindset, behavior, and overall well-being, as research has found that people with an internal, stable, and specific attributional style tend to have higher levels of self-esteem and are more likely to persevere in the face of failure, while people with an external, unstable, and global attributional style tend to have lower levels of self-esteem and may be more likely to give up in the face of failure.

Further reading: The structure of attributional style: Cognitive styles and optimism-pessimism bias in the Attributional Style Questionnaire

Questions: 

1. Which of the following attributional styles have been linked with higher levels of self-esteem and perseverance?

1. A. Internal Attribution
2. B. External Attribution
3. C. Stable Attribution
4. D. Unstable Attribution
5. E. Global Attribution
6. F. Specific Attribution

2. John is a student who has been struggling with his math course for the entire semester. Despite his efforts, he has consistently received poor grades on his exams. Finally, he meets with a tutor who helps him understand the material better and as a result, John receives an A on his final exam. In this scenario, John's success on his final exam is attributed to which of the following factors?

1. A. His own abilities and characteristics (internal attribution)
2. B. External factors such as luck or the actions of others (external attribution)
3. C. A stable characteristic such as ability (stable attribution)
4. D. A temporary or changeable factor such as effort or strategy (unstable attribution)
5. E. One aspect of the math course (specific attribution)
6. F. A general aspect of John's life such as personality or luck (global attribution)

3. A student named Alex is struggling in your math class. Despite your efforts to provide extra help and support, Alex continues to receive low grades on quizzes and tests. Which of the following strategies would you use to help Alex improve his performance in your math class?

1. A. Provide him with extra practice problems and quizzes
2. B. Help him develop a growth mindset by praising him for his efforts and progress
3. C. Provide him with additional resources such as videos and online tutorials
4. D. Help him understand the material better by giving him specific feedback on his mistakes
5. E. Create a learning plan for him with clear goals and specific strategies to achieve them

4. Mark, your student, often attributes his failures and setbacks to internal, stable, and global factors. Which of the following strategies would be the most effective to help Mark shift his attributional style and improve his mental health? (Select all that apply)

1. A. Encouraging him to focus on the external factors that contributed to his failures
2. B. Helping him to see that his abilities and characteristics are not fixed and can change with effort and practice.
3. C. Challenging his belief that his failures are a result of a general feeling of being "unlucky" in life
4. D. Advising him to take full responsibility for his failures and shortcomings, and to develop a sense of personal accountability
5. E. Encouraging him to embrace his inherent abilities and characteristics as a source of strength and pride
6. F. Advising him to accept that sometimes life is unfair and to focus on what he can control

5. 

Amy, a student in your class, claims to have an internal locus of control, believing that her own efforts and abilities are the main determinants of her success or failure. She states that she can control her own fate and that external factors do not have a significant impact on her life. Which of the following behaviors would disprove Amy's claim of having an internal locus of control? (Select all that apply)

1. A. Expressing a desire for more support and guidance from the teacher.
2. B. Recognizing that the test format was challenging, but still taking responsibility for her own performance, and looking for ways to improve.
3. C. Being resilient and not giving up after facing a few setbacks.
4. D. Seeking resources and help to improve her performance.
5. E. Being honest about her lack of sleep the night before, and how it affected her performance.

Answers:

1. The answers are A, D, and F. Students with an internal attribution tend towards self-efficacy and achievement, and have a belief that they have control over the issue. Students with an unstable attribution will have the belief that things that are difficult now can be made easier with changes to strategy or setting. Students with specific attribution can avoid overreacting to hardship and persevere.

2. The answer is D. A temporary or changeable factor such as effort or strategy (unstable attribution).

In this scenario, John's success on his final exam can be attributed to the fact that he put in more effort by seeking help from a tutor and understanding the material better. This is a temporary or changeable factor, not a stable characteristic or inherent ability. It is also not luck or external factors that lead to his success. It is also not a specific or general aspect of his life. It is just the effort and strategy he put in to improve his understanding of the material that led to his success.

3. The correct answer would be B and D as they both help Alex develop a growth mindset, and understand the material better by giving him specific feedback on his mistakes. The strategy A would be helpful as well but it doesn't target the root of the problem which is a lack of understanding. The strategy C is useful but alone it won't be sufficient to help Alex to improve. And E is a good strategy to have but it's a more general approach, it needs to be specific to Alex.

4. The correct answers would be A, B and C. These strategies are aimed to help Mark shift his attributional style away from internal, stable, and global factors that are causing his mental health problems. The incorrect answers D, E and F are strategies that encourage internal, stable, and global factors, which are the root of the problem for Mark.

5. The correct answers would be A and E. These statements, although they might sound like logical explanations for poor performance, are still demonstrating that Amy is blaming external factors for her poor performance, rather than taking responsibility for her own efforts and abilities, which would disprove her claim of having an internal locus of control. The other options B, C and D are behaviors that are more aligned with an internal locus of control, in which the person takes responsibility for their own performance, and looks for ways to improve.

https://positivepsychology.com/explanatory-styles-optimism/#explanatory-styles

https://www.opentextbooks.org.hk/ditatopic/16487

https://www.simplypsychology.org/attribution-theory.html