Attribution Theory: Why We Blame Success and Failure

Attribution theory focuses on how people attribute the cause of an event and how those beliefs interact with internal perception of themselves. Attribution Theory defines three major elements of cause: Locus, Stability, and Control ability.

1. Locus – determining the location of the cause—internal (dispositional) or external (situational) to the person • Influential to feelings of self-esteem and self-efficacy • If success or failure is attributed to internal factors, success will lead to pride and increased self-efficacy, whereas failure will diminish self-esteem and negatively affect self-efficacy

2. Stability – whether the cause is static or dynamic over time • Closely related to expectations and goals in the future • If students attribute their failure to stable factors such as the difficulty of the subject, they will expect to fail in that subject in the future

3. Controllability – whether the person is actively in control of the cause • Related to emotions such as anger, pity, gratitude, or shame • Conflict can arise if we feel we have not done our best; guilt • If we attribute our own abilities to success we will increase self-efficacy • Failing at a task we cannot control can lead to shame or anger.