Lohbeck et al.
ABSTRACT
A great deal of research shows that the way in which children attribute causes to their
successes and failures in school has implications for the development of their academic self-
concept (ASC). The most common attributions are ability, effort, task difficulty, and luck. The
present study asked 68 elementary school children aged seven to eight years how they
explained their successes and failures in school subjects. The aim of the study was to
examine whether there were gender differences in the children’s responses which might
indicate differences in ASCs or in their explanations for the causes of success or failure.
Data were collected via quantitative questionnaires. Results showed no gender differences in
ASC but, within the group, boys were more likely to attribute their success to high ability; on
the other hand girls were more likely to attribute their failures to low ability or the difficulty
level of task. This suggests that boys are more likely than girls to provide positive, self-
enhancing reasons for their success while girls are more likely than boys to provide negative,
self-deprecating reasons for their failures.
According to the expectancy-value model developed by Eccles (1983), academic selfconcept
(ASC) – defined as individuals’ perceptions of their abilities – is significantly influenced by
evaluations from parents, teachers, or peers, academic achievement, and causal attributions
of success and failure.
More specifically, using a sample of elementary school children in Germany, the central
objective of this study is to examine (1) gender differences and (2) the relations of general
school-related ASC and causal attributions of success and failure. In pursuit of these
objectives, this research can extend knowledge of the development of younger children’s
ASC and causal attributions. Moreover, by focusing on a rather neglected sample, that is,
elementary school children from Germany, the present study attempts to suggest
implications for teaching practices aimed at supporting elementary school children’s ASC
and causal attributions.
However, although ability beliefs and expectancies are strongly interrelated, they are
conceptualised differently: While ability beliefs refer to an individual’s perceptions of his or
her present abilities, expectancies relate to future tasks.
Weiner (1985) stated that these four attributions (ability, effort, task difficulty and luck) were
mediated through three subjective assumptions on (a) stability, (b) locus of causality, and (c)
controllability.
Stability pertains to the modifiability of causes, that is, the degree of how temporally
stable the specific attributions are.
o Abilities are stable, but effort is not.
Locus of causality refers to the place where individuals’ attributions are located
o Internal/external
Controllability relates to the degree of control to modify the effects of causes.
o Effort is controllable, task difficulty, ability or chance is not.
Thus, a self-enhancing attribution style involves attributing success to internal causes (such
as ability and effort) and failure to external causes (such as luck or difficult tasks).
Conversely, a self-deprecating attribution style can hamper effective learning as it includes
attributing success to external causes (such as luck and easy tasks) and failure to internal
causes (such as lack of ability).
Hypothese: It can be assumed that children’s causal attributions of success and failure have
motivational consequences and are associated with their ASC: Attributions of success to
internal causes such as ability should be positively related to ASC, while attributions of failure
to internal causes should be negatively related to ASC.
ABSTRACT
A great deal of research shows that the way in which children attribute causes to their
successes and failures in school has implications for the development of their academic self-
concept (ASC). The most common attributions are ability, effort, task difficulty, and luck. The
present study asked 68 elementary school children aged seven to eight years how they
explained their successes and failures in school subjects. The aim of the study was to
examine whether there were gender differences in the children’s responses which might
indicate differences in ASCs or in their explanations for the causes of success or failure.
Data were collected via quantitative questionnaires. Results showed no gender differences in
ASC but, within the group, boys were more likely to attribute their success to high ability; on
the other hand girls were more likely to attribute their failures to low ability or the difficulty
level of task. This suggests that boys are more likely than girls to provide positive, self-
enhancing reasons for their success while girls are more likely than boys to provide negative,
self-deprecating reasons for their failures.
According to the expectancy-value model developed by Eccles (1983), academic selfconcept
(ASC) – defined as individuals’ perceptions of their abilities – is significantly influenced by
evaluations from parents, teachers, or peers, academic achievement, and causal attributions
of success and failure.
More specifically, using a sample of elementary school children in Germany, the central
objective of this study is to examine (1) gender differences and (2) the relations of general
school-related ASC and causal attributions of success and failure. In pursuit of these
objectives, this research can extend knowledge of the development of younger children’s
ASC and causal attributions. Moreover, by focusing on a rather neglected sample, that is,
elementary school children from Germany, the present study attempts to suggest
implications for teaching practices aimed at supporting elementary school children’s ASC
and causal attributions.
However, although ability beliefs and expectancies are strongly interrelated, they are
conceptualised differently: While ability beliefs refer to an individual’s perceptions of his or
her present abilities, expectancies relate to future tasks.
Weiner (1985) stated that these four attributions (ability, effort, task difficulty and luck) were
mediated through three subjective assumptions on (a) stability, (b) locus of causality, and (c)
controllability.
Stability pertains to the modifiability of causes, that is, the degree of how temporally
stable the specific attributions are.
o Abilities are stable, but effort is not.
Locus of causality refers to the place where individuals’ attributions are located
o Internal/external
Controllability relates to the degree of control to modify the effects of causes.
o Effort is controllable, task difficulty, ability or chance is not.
Thus, a self-enhancing attribution style involves attributing success to internal causes (such
as ability and effort) and failure to external causes (such as luck or difficult tasks).
Conversely, a self-deprecating attribution style can hamper effective learning as it includes
attributing success to external causes (such as luck and easy tasks) and failure to internal
causes (such as lack of ability).
Hypothese: It can be assumed that children’s causal attributions of success and failure have
motivational consequences and are associated with their ASC: Attributions of success to
internal causes such as ability should be positively related to ASC, while attributions of failure
to internal causes should be negatively related to ASC.
