An Attribution Training Program with Learning Disabled Children

Abstract

Abstract:Based on the success of attribution training programs in alleviating learned helplessness and upon current research suggesting that some learning disabled children may be experiencing learned helplessness, it was the purpose of the present investigation to determine whether altering causal attributions for failure would enable helpless learning disabled children to deal more effectively with failure in an experimental reading situation. Sixteen "helpless" learning disabled students were assigned to an attribution training group or to an assessment control group. The results revealed that following training, the subjects in the attribution training group demonstrated greater reading persistence, showed significant increases in effort attributions for failure as well as more internal attributions for achievement situations when compared to subjects in the control group. Treatment gains for effort attributions and for reading persistence were maintained at follow-up. Implications for remedial programs are discussed.

Increasing struggling learners’ self‐efficacy: what tutors can do and say

“…Similarly, many researchers have found that attribution training influenced academics. Shelton et al (1985) found that stressing effort attributions increased the reading persistence of students with learning disabilities. Chan (1996) found that the reading comprehension and attributions of poor readers improved when they received both reading strategy instruction and attribution training that attributed success to correct strategy use.…”

Are we exacerbating students’ learning disabilities? An investigation of preservice teachers’ attributions of the educational outcomes of students with learning disabilities

“…Foote found that positive feedback from success that focused on ability built students' selfefficacy and motivation while negative feedback from poor performance that focused on effort did not diminish the students' self-efficacy or motivation. For this reason, it is important that teacher feedback focuses on effort and effective strategy use, because these are within the control of the students and have been shown to be effective in enhancing achievement (see, for example, Shelton, Anastopoulos, & Linden, 1985). However, these types of feedback were the least used in the classroom (Foote, 1999).…”

The Impact of Explicit, Self-Regulatory Reading Comprehension Strategy Instruction on the Reading-Specific Self-Efficacy, Attributions, and Affect of Students with Reading Disabilities

“…Through better self-regulation in reading, an increased sense of personal control over reading through the mechanisms of improved reading self-efficacy and more adaptive reading attributions is likely to develop, which, in turn, could result in greater positive affect for reading. In general, "adaptive" attributions have been defined in the LD literature as those in which success and failure are attributed to effort (e.g., Shelton, Anastopoulos, CDATA [& Linden, 1985).…”