Assisting At‐Risk College Students With Attributional Retraining and Effective Teaching1

Abstract

Attributional retraining appears to be an effective remedial intervention for college students. However, the potential moderating effects of student and classroom characteristics have not yet been investigated systematically. In two studies, attributional retraining was provided to low‐ and high‐risk students, followed by a videotaped lecture presented by either an ineffective or effective instructor. Attributional retraining enhanced achievement on a lecture‐based achievement test only when combined with effective teaching, improving the achievement of students who had previously performed poorly (Experiment l), and of low‐achieving externals (Experiment 2). The intervention provided no advantage for previously successful students and low‐achieving internals. Moreover, attributional retraining induced a more internal attribution profile in students with an external locus, and increased expectations of future success in both externals and internals, but again only when students also received effective instruction. These results suggest that contextual factors related to the classroom, such as quality of instruction, and individual differences have to be considered when developing attributional retraining programs.