Attributions and affects related to actual vs perceived success in an actual achievement context

The present study sought to explore Weiner's model of attribution-affect linkage using nondichotomized measures of both objective and subjective success, in a real achievement context. Contrary to expectation, attributional internality related more strongly to objective than to perceived success on three course examinations. Affectivity, as expected, related significantly more strongly to subjective success. Attribution-affect linkage accounted for relatively small amounts of variance in both types of outcome. However, Weiner's concept of "outcome-dependent, attribution-independent" affects was supported covarying with more specific self-worth affects. The concept of "hedonic bias" and concomitant positive affect was supported here, but the lack of a uniform group trend towards self-enhancing attributions highlights the necessity of considering individual differences in achievement behavior.