Secular and Religious Attributions of Success and Failure Among Polish Students

Abstract

Causal attributions of success and failure as functions of different religious orientations (intrinsic, extrinsic, and quest) were explored among a sample of Polish university students ranging in age from 18 to 28 years (M = 21 years). The participants, 182 religious and 85 nonreligious, assessed secular and religious attributions on three dimensions: controllability, stability, and locus. Religious as well as nonreligious participants attributed both success and failure to secular rather than religious causes. The attributional differences among representatives of the different religious orientations were related primarily to religious attributions: answer to prayer and God's help. The prominence of good luck and bad luck as plausible causes of success and failure, respectively, was examined in terms of traditional religious considerations and recent political changes in Poland.