How certain ability-related academic self-perceptions are organized in the self-systems of fifth graders was studied with 190 children who completed questionnaires. Confirmatory factor analysis indicates that children differentiate their ability-related perceptions in ways that current models of academic self-perceptions cannot account for fully.…

Examines gender differences in undergraduates' attributions for child sex offending. Results showed that undergraduates' reasons for child sexual abuse strongly parallel contemporary scientific theories of abuse, and that there were significant gender differences in the frequency with which participants cited various types of reasons given for…

An integration of conceptions about attributional antecedents with those of attributional consequences is applied to achievement behavior. Results reveal that participants who were induced to make realistic attributions spent more time on tasks for which they had demonstrated high ability than on tasks for which they had demonstrated low ability.…

Suggests a videotape illustration is highly effective in teaching Kelley's covariation attribution model. Notes the use of videotapes improves the students' understanding of attribution concepts. Claims students are able to make appropriate attributions using Kelley's model and to apply them to real-life situations. (Author/NL)

Tests self-serving attributional bias, attributing success to internal factors and failure to external factors among Blacks. With a sample of 35 Black and 35 White undergraduates, demonstrates this bias for both races. Finds Blacks attributed outcomes more to effort, whereas Whites attributed outcomes to task difficulty, a more stable factor. (DB)

Summarizes prominent research-based perspectives on children's thinking about their own achievement. Identifies effective tactics for classroom intervention and teacher influence. (RJC)

Seventy-five learning-disabled students (10 to 14 years old) received instructions about summarization strategies and about personal causality that were designed to improve reading comprehension. Changes in antecedent attributions about personal causality were not usually altered by this program-specific attributional training, although…

This article discusses the importance of attribution and strategy training for understanding motivation in students with learning disabilities, contributions of attributions to the larger motivational schema, and problems associated with measuring this affective variable. (DB)

Compared perceived causes of mental illness and help-seeking preferences among Japanese-American and white college students (Total n=288). Found that Japanese-Americans were more likely than whites to attribute mental illness to social causes, to resolve problems on their own, and to seek help from family members and/or friends. (Author/NB)

This article traces the origin of the James-Lange theory of emotion, considers differences in their thinking, and assesses early criticisms and debate. Research on physiological patterns in emotion is reviewed. New paths for emotion research are outlined and homage is paid to the inspiration of William James. (SLD)

Examined age differences and attributions of age differences in locus of control orientation for 60 college students and 97 older adults. Findings showed that both age groups misattributed levels of control orientation to the other group when compared to that group's self-ratings. Older adults endorsed more internal beliefs than did college…

The investigation assessed whether 6 learning-disabled boys (ages 10-12) who were taking stimulant medication reported fewer adaptive attributions in academic situations than their 8 nonmedicated peers. Boys who were not taking medication reported more internal-effort attributions in failure situations than boys who were taking medication.…

Interviews with 73 abusive caretakers were analyzed to determine aspects of the caretakers' situation and the interaction with the abused child that contributed to their belief that the abuse was justified or not. Justification was related to defiance of the child and environmental stressors on the abuser. (Author/JDD)

Discusses and reviews learner control research and presents three theoretical bases to help provide a framework for past research as well as to assist in designing future studies: (1) motivation, (2) attribution, and (3) information processing. Three types of learner control are discussed in relation to the theoretical perspectives: pacing,…

Thirty-one male and 49 female undergraduate students were randomly assigned to 1 of 8 experimental conditions to investigate whether importance could moderate mood effects on student performance attributions. Outcome importance significantly increased mood biases in perceptions of causal locus but not stability. Other moderating effects are…