Results provided some support for a self-serving model of causal attributions for success and failure. It was also found that males and females did exhibit some differences in their patterns of causal attributions for similar outcomes. (RM)

An investigation of the causal attributions of success and failure performances on various levels of task difficulty by 36 learning disabled and 36 nondisabled adolescents revealed that Ss' perceptions of the task difficulty levels were significant determinants of the two groups' differing causal attributions. (Author/CL)

The British educational system, in a society with a well-developed class structure, emphasizes excellence and limits opportunity to a small number. The United States, with a political philosophy of equal opportunity, has a more accessible system. (Availability: Dept. of Adult Education, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506) (SK)

Proposed a conceptual distinction between two types of experienced power and examined its relevance to participation in power-relaxed activities. After two college football games, spectators chose an image-of-power position after a hometeam defeat, and an actual-power position after a hometeam victory. Experiences of vicarious success or failure…

This study examined the context within which subjects (students) selected one of the following failure management strategies: silence, concession, excuse, justification, and refusal. Contextual variables included: relationship with the reproacher, the students' communicative goal orientation, moral severity of the failure, character of the…

This study investigated the extent to which expectancies and performance of emotionally handicapped children could be altered by success or failure-induced experiences. Students were assigned to either of two experimental conditions. Results indicated that success and failure on a task were influential on subsequent expectancy estimates and…

Likens a circus performer's varied responsibilities to the learning tasks required of undergraduates. Suggests that students' inability to perform many of these tasks results from confusion about instructors' expectations and the appropriateness of various learning strategies to different tasks. Recommends that students be presented with clear…

Examines the assumptions which underlie the design of SDI systems with respect to context of use, activities supported by SDI, and characteristics which make documents useful. Relates these assumptions to the failure of SDI to gain widespread acceptance among scientific information users. A 43-item reference list is included. (JL)

Whether there is consistency in pupils' attributions regarding their achievement outcome in two consecutive tests in (a) the same subject and (b) different subjects was explored. Results showed consistency in individuals' attributional patterns. However, consistency scores ensuing from the same achievement outcomes were greater than those from…

In recent years, researchers have shown interest in errors that can frustrate teaching, training, and learning. A discussion of the form an overall theory of error might take is presented in a comparatively discursive and nonrigorous way. Thirty-two references are listed. (Author/CHC)

Personality and behavioral consequences of learned helplessness were monitored in children experiencing failure in school. The predictive quality of learned helplessness theory was compared with that of value expectancy theories. Low self-concept was predicted significantly by school failure, internal attributions for failure, and external…

Female high school students participated in a motor task to assess the effects of success/failure feedback and extrinsic rewards on intrinsic motivation. It was found that a significant change in intrinsic motivation was due to the effects of success/failure feedback, but not to the effect of a tangible reward. (Authors/FG)

Examined the accuracy of estimating correctness to responses on the WAIS by elderly adults and considered whether extraneous variables influenced either judgement accuracy or IQ score. Findings suggest that older persons seem uncomfortable with ambiguity and possess an unrealistic fear of failure. (Author)

A post-mortem examination of the new social studies, its successes, and its failures. (Author/WD)