Attribution Theory

What Attribution Theory covers

Attribution Theory is examined in Component 2, Psychological and social principles of physical education. It covers Weiner's attributions for success and failure, the three dimensions of attribution and attribution retraining.

The 3 subtopics

Each one has its own page.

• Weiner's attributions for success and failureAttributions and why coaches care, ability, effort, luck and task difficulty, classifying a tennis player's, a swimmer's and a gymnast's explanations, the self-serving bias and blaming the referee.Open →
• The three dimensions of attributionLocus of causality, stability and controllability, classifying Weiner's four attributions, expectations and emotions, low ability as a cause of failure, high achievers and those who avoid failure, the hockey captain and the long jumper.Open →
• Attribution retrainingAttribution retraining after failure, internal attributions for success, effort after defeat, short-term external attributions, goal setting and feedback, learned helplessness, the young swimmer, mastery orientation and planning practice.Open →

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Take Attribution Theory further

The same content, four other ways.

Commonly confused

Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.

• Locus of causality vs Controllability

  Locus of causality: whether a cause lies inside or outside the performer. Controllability: whether the performer can influence the cause.

• Stable attribution vs Unstable attribution

  Stable attribution: a cause that stays the same over time, such as ability. Unstable attribution: a cause that changes from one event to the next, such as luck.

• Ability vs Effort

  Ability: the skill and capacity a performer brings to a task. Effort: how hard a performer tries.

Questions from this topic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   What is an attribution in sport?

   Model answer

   An attribution is the reason a performer gives for the outcome of a performance. Attributions explain perceived success or failure.

2. 2

   Why do attributions matter to a coach?

   Model answer

   Attributions affect a performer's motivation, emotions and expectations of future success. A coach who understands them can guide a performer's thinking after a result.

3. 3

   What are Weiner's four attributions?

   Model answer

   Weiner's four attributions are ability, effort, luck and task difficulty. Performers use them to explain why they won or lost.

4. 4

   What is meant by ability as an attribution?

   Model answer

   Ability is the performer's skill and capacity to perform the task. A sprinter who says she won because she is naturally quick attributes success to ability.

5. 5

   What is meant by effort as an attribution?

   Model answer

   Effort is how hard the performer tried. A player who blames a defeat on not working hard enough attributes it to effort.

6. 6

   What is meant by luck as an attribution?

   Model answer

   Luck is chance outside anyone's control. A golfer whose ball bounces off a tree onto the green may attribute success to luck.

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.

Attribution Theory revision questions

What does Attribution Theory cover in Edexcel A-Level Physical Education?

3 subtopics: weiner's attributions for success and failure, the three dimensions of attribution and attribution retraining. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.

How is Attribution Theory organised?

By the Edexcel 9PE0 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.