An Excuse Perspective of the Learned Helplessness Paradigm: The Self-Protective Role of Causal Attribution

Abstract

To assess the self-protective role of causal attribution in the learned helplessness paradigm, two experiments employed a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design for training feedback (failure vs. no feedback), excuse facilitation (yes/no), and self-awareness (yes/no) and measured self-focused thoughts and task performance. In Experiment 1, self-awareness was operationalized by the use of a bogus pipeline device. In Experiment 2, self-awareness was operationalized by asking subjects to make causal attributions in the presence or absence of a mirror. The findings indicate that (1) subjects exposed to unsolvable problems used causal attribution as an excuse-making strategy, (2) the use of attribution in an excuse-like fashion has beneficial effects on attentional focus and performance, and (3) experimental conditions that increase self-awareness (bogus pipeline, mirror) eliminated and even reversed the beneficial effects of attribution. Results were discussed in terms of excuse theory.