Related Experiment Videos
Causal uncertainty, claimed and behavioural self-handicapping
Ted Thompson1, Jonathan Hepburn
1University of Tasmania, School of Psychology, Australia. T.Thompson@utas.edu.au
The British Journal of Educational Psychology
|June 28, 2003
Summary
Individuals with high causal uncertainty, doubting event causes, exhibit more self-handicapping and anxiety. This suggests educators should help students attribute achievement outcomes more confidently.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Causal uncertainty stems from non-contingent feedback, leaving individuals unsure about achievement causes.
- High causal uncertainty is linked to anxiety and self-handicapping behaviors in achievement settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between trait causal uncertainty and both claimed and behavioral self-handicapping.
- To understand how causal uncertainty influences achievement behaviors.
Main Methods:
- A 2x3 between-subjects factorial design with 72 undergraduates, divided into high and low causal uncertainty groups.
- Examined effects of causal uncertainty and feedback conditions (success, non-contingent success, non-contingent failure) on performance, practice effort, anxiety, and attributions.
- Utilized anagrams, remote associate tasks, unicursal tasks, and self-report measures.
Main Results:
- High causal uncertainty participants claimed more handicaps and reported higher anxiety.
- They attributed failure to internal, stable factors and reduced practice effort.
- Behavioral self-handicapping was evident in reduced performance on subsequent tasks.
Conclusions:
- Trait causal uncertainty is significantly linked to claimed and behavioral self-handicapping.
- Educators should foster environments where students can confidently attribute achievement causes.
- Addressing causal uncertainty may mitigate self-handicapping and improve academic outcomes.