PEDS303 Lecture Notes - Learned Helplessness, Explanatory Style
28 Apr 2013
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Document Summary
Attribution theory examines various factors upon which people attribute success and failure. Stability of conditions stability of the factor to which success and failure is attributed. We are talking about day to day stability. Something that is stable is something that is stable over a day to day level. Weiner"s original 2-dimensional model an internal locus of causality and a stable characteristic is ability ability resides within us and what we possess. It is relatively stable on a day to day basis. If we attribute success or failure to ability, we are taking ownership of the success or failure. An external locus of causality and stable characteristic is task difficulty (same task). The difficulty of running a mile today or tomorrow is similar. The degree of the task should be similar on a day to day basis (making it stable) An external locus of causality and an unstable stability characteristic is luck.
