Mothers' Attributions for their Learning Disabled Child's Successes and Failures

Abstract

The attributions of mothers of learning disabled and nondisabled children about the causes of their child's successes and failures were assessed. The results indicated that, compared to mothers of nondisabled children, the mothers of learning disabled children attributed successes less to ability and more to luck, while attributing failures more to a lack of ability and less to bad luck. Responses indicated that mothers of learning disabled children were aware of their child's attributions for performances in reading, and that they belittled their own ability to make things run smoothly at home. Results are discussed in terms of ways in which parents may foster more adaptive attributions in their children.