Progress Test Complete the test on your own. This includes questions from papers that we have done in the last three lessons.

Practical We are now going to go down to the gym to do a practical experiment. We will play a table tennis tournament and you will be required to fill in the worksheet as we go along. Please try your best and fill in the sheet honestly so that we can gain as much out of the practical as possible.

Attribution Theory Lesson 4

What is an Attribution? “An attribution is the perceived reasons for the success or failure of an event or pattern of behaviour.” Task 1 List as many reasons as possible why you feel attributions are important.

Why are attributions important? Attributions in sport are important because they help maintain: -Level of performance -Satisfaction of performance -Task persistence -Future expectations

The Attribution Process Outcome of Performance (Success or failure) Casual Attributions Ascribed Locus of Causality (Internal or External) Stability (Stable or unstable) Locus of Control (Control/No control) AFFECT Feelings of pride and shame increased or decreased EXPECTANCY of future success or failure AFFECT Increase or decrease in motivation Future Behaviour

Key Words (you need to know these) Attribution Theory – This theory suggests the perceived reasons given by a performer or coach after an event to explain the outcome, can affect future levels of motivation. Locus of Causality – To pinpoint the cause of the final outcome as being due to internal or external factors e.g. those within or beyond the performer’s control. Locus of Stability – Identified attributing factors which may have influenced the final result, and which may or may not change in nature over a short period of time. Locus of Control – Identified attributing factors based on the level of control the performer is able to exert on the final outcome.

Weiner’s Attribution Theory (1974) Weiner proposed that attributions fell into four different areas: -Ability -Effort -Luck -Task Difficulty

His Model Ability Task Difficulty EffortLuck Locus of Causality InternalExternal STABILITYDIMENSIONSTABILITYDIMENSION Stable Unstable

With Examples We were too good for the opposition on the day. Our skills were too good. They were not a very good team and were from a lower league. We had prepared well for the game and all the team worked extremely hard. We were lucky on the day. The umpire gave us a debatable penalty. Locus of Causality InternalExternal STABILITYDIMENSIONSTABILITYDIMENSION Stable Unstable

Task 2 Complete your own diagram with examples when the performer has not been successful. Locus of Causality InternalExternal STABILITYDIMENSIONSTABILITYDIMENSION Stable Unstable

Locus of Causality Internal CausesFactors within our control, such as ability and effort. External CausesFactors outside our control, such as task difficulty and luck. Locus of Stability Stable FactorsSuch as level of individual ability, skill, coaching experience and nature of opposition. Unstable FactorsSuch as individual level of motivation and effort, arousal levels, refereeing decisions, quality of teamwork, imposed tactics, injury, form and pure luck. Locus of Control Personal ControlAreas of performance over which the performer can take control, e.g. effort, concentration and commitment to training. External ControlAreas of performance over which the individual has little control, for example the referee.

Self-serving Bias “This is the tendency of a performer to attribute his or her success to internal factors, such as effort and ability, while failure is attributed to external influences, for example, luck and task difficulty.” To maintain a performer’s motivation you have to attribute loss or failure to anything other than internal stable factors.

Task 3 We are now going to pass round the worksheets from the practical earlier in the lesson. On your worksheet record the information from each individual as to what they attributed success and failure to and whether self serving bias was evident. This will be followed by a discussion.

Attribution Re-training “The process by which a performer is taught to attribute failure to changeable, unstable factors rather than internal, stable factors, I.e. lack of ability.”

Diagram Change from: Change to: Attribution: Lack of ability Behaviour: helplessness, avoidance Emotion: Negative, e.g. frustration Attribution: Incorrect strategy Emotion: Negative or neutral, e.g. disappointment Behaviour: persistence approach Failure or Poor Performance

Homework (Part 1) Q1-6 p Why is it important to use attributions correctly? 2.Failure should be attributed to internal stable factors – true or false? 3.Explain the term self-serving bias. 4.List the four categories of casual attributions and give an example of each. 5.Attributing failure to unstable factors minimises negative feelings – true of false? 6.What is attribution re-training?

Homework (Part 2) Find and watch three interviews of sportsman/managers /coaches after their performance (youtube is helpful). List the following things: 1. Give some background to the interview (after which game, who gave interview etc) 2. Was their performance successful? 3. What attributions did they use from Weiner? 4. Give quotes of their attributions from the interview. 5. Why did they use those attributions? 6. In your opinion, were they the right attributions to use? Both parts to be handed or sent to me by Wednesday please!