Relationships among Learning and Attribution Theory Motivational Variables

Abstract

Among the factors contributing to our incomplete understanding of motivation in elementary school classrooms is that most motivational research is conducted within one of several independent or competing strands, each focused on different variables. This concern was addressed by investigating interrelationships among motivational variables drawn from locus of control (LOC) theory (locus of control, incentive value) and from attribution theory (self-concept of ability, expectancy of success, causal attributions), along with measures of school achievement. The research sample consisted of 423 students in 21 fourth through sixth grade classrooms. Motivational instruments were administered to groups of students in their own classrooms, and achievement data were extracted from existing school files. Correlational and multiple regression analyses yielded limited and partial support for predictions within the LOC and attribution theories, respectively. Analyses of relationships across theories provided some clarification of targeted conceptual issues, including the meaning of perceived control, the distinction between ability and effort motivational factors, and the role of incentive value in motivational processes.