John has just failed a test-in a sense, his test performance has been punished. From the perspective of attributions, is John likely to work harder to pass his next test?
A) Definitely not
B) Absolutely yes
C) Yes, provided that he believes his test performance is the result of something he didn't do but could do next time
D) Yes, provided that his low test score is accompanied by information about strengths and weaknesses about his performance.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to attribution theory, if John believes that his failure is due to something he could do differently in the future (i.e. it is controllable), he is more likely to work harder to pass his next test. Therefore, option C is the best choice. Option A is incorrect because it assumes that John will give up without trying, which is not necessarily true. Option B is too extreme as it assumes that John will definitely work harder, regardless of the cause of his failure. Option D may or may not be true depending on how John interprets the feedback about his strengths and weaknesses.

John Has Just Failed a Test-In a Sense, His Test