Attribution Theory | AQA A-Level Physical Education (7582)
Attribution Theory
- 54 questions
- 4 subtopics
- Paper 2: Factors affecting optimal performance in physical activity and sport
- Paper 2
Attribution Theory is examined in Paper 2, Factors affecting optimal performance in physical activity and sport.
It covers the attribution process and Weiner's model, attribution, task persistence and self-serving bias, learned helplessness, general and specific and attribution retraining and overcoming helplessness.
Sample questions from Attribution Theory
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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The attribution process and Weiner's model
Name the four attributions in Weiner's model.
Show the answer
The four attributions are ability, effort, task difficulty and luck. -
The attribution process and Weiner's model
A tennis player says she lost because her opponent is ranked in the world top ten. Which attribution is this?
Show the answer
The player is attributing the defeat to task difficulty. The cause is external and stable. -
Attribution, task persistence and self-serving bias
Which attributions after a defeat best protect motivation?
Show the answer
External or unstable attributions, such as bad luck or low effort, best protect motivation. The performer believes the result can change. -
Attribution, task persistence and self-serving bias
Give an example of the self-serving bias in team sport.
Show the answer
A rugby captain credits a win to the team's fitness but blames a loss on the referee. The success is made internal and the failure external. -
Learned helplessness, general and specific
A pupil says, "I'm rubbish at all sport, so there's no point trying." Which type of learned helplessness is this?
Show the answer
The pupil is showing general learned helplessness. The belief covers every physical activity. -
Learned helplessness, general and specific
How can a run of heavy defeats in a junior team produce learned helplessness?
Show the answer
Repeated heavy defeats teach the players that effort makes no difference to the result. The players begin to accept losing as inevitable. -
Attribution retraining and overcoming helplessness
Why does attribution retraining reduce learned helplessness?
Show the answer
Attribution retraining shows the performer that failure has causes they can change. The performer regains a sense of control and is willing to try again. -
Attribution retraining and overcoming helplessness
How can modifying a task help a performer who has given up?
Show the answer
A coach can simplify the task so that success is likely. The difficulty can then be raised gradually as confidence returns.
The 4 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| The attribution process and Weiner's model | Attributions and the attribution process, Weiner's locus of causality and stability, ability, effort, task difficulty and luck, and controllability. | 15 |
| Attribution, task persistence and self-serving bias | Task persistence, attributions that protect motivation after success and defeat, how performers with a high need to achieve or to avoid failure explain a defeat, and the self-serving bias. | 13 |
| Learned helplessness, general and specific | Learned helplessness and how attributions cause it, general and specific helplessness, its signs and effects, and its links to stability and controllability. | 13 |
| Attribution retraining and overcoming helplessness | Attribution retraining for failure and success, short-term goals, past successes, praise, modified tasks and self-efficacy. | 13 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
AQA A-Level Physical Education Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 2,084 questions with their answers.