Perceived locus of causality is an important factor in assessing the impact of prior success or failure on later performance. In order to examine the effects of internal (self) versus external (partner) attributions on subsequent performance, two studies were conducted. In the first study 80 female undergradutes worked on a series of mazes with an…

Researchers in attribution theory have used two styles in wording attributional questions. The informational style asks subjects the extent to which they possess ability, effort and luck relative to a task, and task difficulty. The causal style asks subjects the extent to which various factors influenced or caused the outcome. A study was…

The potential for feelings of hopelessness and depression in the aged is well documented. Although studies have examined the role of perceived control in ameliorating depression in the institutionalized elderly, no research has actually measured the perceived causal attributions among depressed, hopeless and/or institutionalized elderly…

Three hypotheses were tested regarding the attribution of causation for successful behavior by kindergarten children: (1) self concept--children with high self esteem make internal attributions and those with low self esteem make external attributions; (2) locus of control (LOC)--children with internal LOC make internal attributions and those with…

The construct of locus of control formulated by Rotter (1966) is being increasingly emphasized in personality functioning, since it appears to be related to several classes of behavior. It is also being considered as an important construct in cross-cultural research. Cross-cultural comparisons are particularly important, not just because they may…

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there are differences between males and females on locus of control, if experimental instructions differentially affect the performance of internals as opposed to externals, and if locus of control differentially influences performance on distinct types of aptitude tests. The Children's…

This descriptive study examined the interaction between 25 mentally retarded (MR) adult participants in a physical education setting and 51 physical education majors. The study was designed to identify and analyze the causal attributions of physical education majors concerning MR adults' motor performance, to identify and analyze the causal…

Describes a new 48-item self-report instrument, the Multidimensional Measure of Children's Perceptions of Control, which defines children's perceptions of control as understanding the locus of sufficient cause for success and failure. Three dimensions of third- through ninth-grade children's perceptions of control are assessed within three…