Attributions for Achievement: Differences as a Function of Sex and Race

• Main Author: Swick, Rebecca Lund
• Other Authors: Harrell, Ernest H.
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: North Texas State University 1980
• Subjects: achievement orientation; elementary level students; gender and achievement; race and achievement; Attribution (Social psychology); Academic achievement.; Sex differences (Psychology); Race.
• Online Access: https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc504422/

The proposed interaction between race and sex on achievement orientation has not been adequately demonstrated when cognitive measures are used. Therefore, the present study examined the effects of sex and race on attributions for achievement., Elementary level students made attributions to ability, effort, task-difficulty, or luck for 16 academic successes or failures described in a questionnaire. Girls made significantly (p < .001) fewer ability and significantly (p < .001) more effort attributions on success items than boys, regardless of their race. Six success items that had been sex-typed (3 girl, 3 boy) provided similar results. Sex-typing data indicated these subjects exhibited strong sex-role stereotypy. Results were discussed in terms of sex-typing of the individual and not the task.