Abstract

This study explores the efficacy of attributional retraining in the domain of learning processes, and on the effects of attributional feedback on students' causal attributional and success expectancies. Forty five children (29 males, 16 females) who were identified as underachieving received training in organisational skills, editing, and planning strategies, during which they periodically received effort attributional feedback, ability + effort feedback, or no attributional feedback. Results indicated that children in both feedback groups successfully substituted adaptive causal ascriptions for those that are dysfunctional. That is, they learned to reattribute their success and failure more to their effort (or lack of it), and less to the causal factor of luck. Similarly, effort and ability + effort feedback conditions were found to be equally effective in raising their success expectancies. With regards to changes in learning approaches. As a function of attributional retraining, the obtained results supported the predicted trends of change. However, these changes were found across the two attributional feedback groups, as well as in the no feedback group. The implication of these findings in promoting positive cognitive changes in underachieving children are discussed.

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