Reviews studies which examine spontaneous attributional activity. The paradigms include the coding of written material, recording of thoughts during or after task completion, and indirect inferences of attributional activity exhibited in other cognitive processes. Finds unequivocal documentation of attributional activity and the conditions that…

Documents characteristics of emotions in relation to action and self-perception. Argues that taking affect into account yields a different interpretation of successful achievement-change programs. Also clarifies the differences between ability and effort as perceived causes of success and failure. (Author/GC)

Research documents that attributions of failure resulting from lack of ability result in less punishment from others than do ascriptions to lack of effort. This paper provides a conceptual analysis of these empirical findings, guided by a taxonomy of causal thinking. Process and functional understandings of achievement strivings are distinguished.…

A cognitive model of motivation is proposed which postulates four components as the determinants of the actual and anticipated outcome of an achievement-related event. The four determinants are ability, effort, task difficulty, and luck. These factors may be classified as either internal or external sources of control, and as either stable or…

This paper specifically examines the role of causal schemata in determining achievement-related causal judgments. (Author)

Six studies were reported questioning the conclusions of Covington and Omelich that pride in success, shame in failure, and positive self-esteem are more closely linked with ability ascriptions than with effort. The research demonstrated that affective intensity is in part determined by the perceived importance of the task. (BS)