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Automatic ability attribution after failure: a dual process view of achievement attribution
1Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America. msakaki@usc.edu
Plos One
|May 14, 2013
Summary
People automatically attribute achievement failure to ability, especially under cognitive load. Controlled processing reduces this bias, impacting intrinsic motivation and highlighting the role of cognitive resources in achievement attribution.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Causal attribution is key in achievement motivation literature.
- Previous research viewed attribution as deliberate and effortful.
- The automaticity of attribution, particularly for failure, remains under-explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test if people automatically attribute failure to ability.
- To investigate if cognitive load enhances ability attribution.
- To examine the impact of attribution on intrinsic motivation.
Main Methods:
- Two studies measured causal attribution beliefs for task failure.
- Participants were tested under cognitive load or with full attention.
- Intrinsic motivation was assessed following feedback.
Main Results:
- Participants attributed performance more to ability under cognitive load than without.
- Increased ability attribution under load negatively affected intrinsic motivation.
- Cognitive resources significantly influence causal attribution and motivation.
Conclusions:
- Ability attribution for failure may be an automatic process.
- Cognitive load enhances automatic ability attributions.
- Cognitive resources are crucial for attribution beliefs and achievement motivation.
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