Attribution theory: Attribution retraining.

The idea

Attribution retraining is a cognitive intervention that helps a performer replace unhelpful explanations for failure with more adaptive ones. In AQA A-level PE, attribution theory explains how performers attribute success and failure to causes such as ability, effort, task difficulty and luck. Retraining targets maladaptive patterns, especially attributing failure to stable, internal and uncontrollable causes like lack of ability. A coach might guide a gymnast who falls on a beam to attribute the fall to insufficient practice or a specific technique error rather than to being 'no good'. Over time, the performer learns to link failure with controllable effort or strategy, which protects motivation and persistence. Retraining is assessed through multiple-choice questions that test definition, purpose and the distinction between adaptive and maladaptive attributions.

What earns the marks

• Defines attribution retraining as changing the causes a performer uses to explain success and failure.
• Identifies the purpose: to replace maladaptive attributions with more adaptive, usually controllable, ones.
• Links retraining to attribution theory's categories: ability, effort, task difficulty and luck.
• Explains that maladaptive attributions often involve stable, internal and uncontrollable causes such as lack of ability.
• Explains that adaptive attributions often involve controllable causes such as effort or strategy.
• States a benefit: improved persistence, motivation and willingness to try again after failure.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Misunderstanding: attribution retraining is the same as positive reinforcement.

  Put it right: It changes the performer's explanation of why an outcome happened, not just the reward given.

• Misunderstanding: retraining only works for success.

  Put it right: It is mainly used to change how a performer explains failure so that failure does not destroy motivation.

• Misunderstanding: attributing failure to lack of ability is always helpful because it is honest.

  Put it right: Stable, uncontrollable ability attributions tend to reduce persistence; controllable effort or strategy attributions are more adaptive.

• Misunderstanding: retraining means ignoring the real cause of failure.

  Put it right: It means identifying a controllable cause, such as poor technique or insufficient practice, and using that as the basis for improvement.

Exam tips

• Read the question stem carefully to identify whether it asks for the definition, the purpose or an example of attribution retraining.
• Eliminate options that describe unrelated concepts such as goal setting, mental rehearsal or positive reinforcement.
• When two options seem similar, choose the one that mentions changing the cause attributed to failure rather than changing the outcome itself.