Abstract
Summary. Current models of the attribution process in children derive from adult models. This study examines the adequacy of current models for British children in the 5–14 age range (N = 149). Three questions are asked: (1) What types of explanation are used freely by children to explain academic success and failure? (2) How frequently are they used? (3) Do the types of explanation used by children to explain academic success and failure vary developmentally? Eighteen categories are used to classify the free responses of children to six achievement stories. The categories used by current models are useful but limited. Additional categories include different types of ability attribution and teacher‐sanctioned behaviour. Reservations are expressed about the meaning and relative importance of luck and the organising dimensions (locus, stability, control) of current taxonomical models. Using a multivariate profile analysis it was shown that the pattern of use of attribution categories varied by age. While recognising the importance of situational explanations for this trend, it was concluded that the trend was not reducible to them and that the attribution process involves a complex interaction of subjective and objective reality.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
