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Linking academic performance to optimistic attributional style: attributions following positive events matter most

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Abstract

Optimistic attributional style has been shown to be reliably associated with high well-being and low depression and (Hu et al., Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 34(4): 304–321, 2015). Via both a meta-analysis and two new studies, we examine the relationship between optimistic attributional style for explaining negative and positive events, and academic performance. In the meta-analysis, dispositions to make stable and global attributions for positive events were more strongly related to academic achievement (d = 0.21, k = 30, N = 6351) than dispositions to make unstable and local attributions regarding negative events (d = 0.11, k = 66, N = 11,023). Academic level (primary school vs secondary school vs university) and type of test (general vs achievement-specific) were shown to moderate the associations. The two new studies were designed to address the remaining questions. In both studies, optimistic attributional style for positive events most reliably predicted student academic achievement, including boosted achievement over time. Possible explanations for the moderator effects are discussed, and recommendations for future research as well as practical recommendations are provided.

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Acknowledgments

The article was prepared within the framework of the HSE University Basic Research Program and funded by the Russian Academic Excellence Project '5-100' (Study 1 and 2) and also supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, project # 16-36-0037 (meta-analysis).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology of Education, Lomonosov Moscow State University Faculty of Psychology, Moscow, Russia

    Tamara Gordeeva

  2. International Laboratory of Positive Psychology of Personality and Motivation, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Mokhovaya, 11-9, 125009, Moscow, Russia

    Tamara Gordeeva

  3. International Laboratory of Positive Psychology of Personality and Motivation, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia

    Kennon Sheldon

  4. Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, 112 McAlester Hall, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA

    Kennon Sheldon

  5. Department of Psychology of Education, Shukshin Altai State University for Humanities and Pedagogy, Korolenko str., 43-213, Biysk, Russia, 659333

    Oleg Sychev

Authors
  1. Tamara Gordeeva
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  2. Kennon Sheldon
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  3. Oleg Sychev
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Correspondence to Tamara Gordeeva.

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Additional information

Tamara Gordeeva. Lomonosov Moscow State University Faculty of Psychology, Department of Psychology of Education. International Laboratory of Positive Psychology of Personality and Motivation, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Russia. E-mail: tamgordeeva@gmail.com; Web site: https://istina.msu.ru/profile/GordeevaTO./, https://www.hse.ru/en/org/persons/9959426

Current themes of research:

Optimism, academic motivation, motivation to learn, well‐being, academic performance.

Most relevant publications in the field of Psychology of Education:

Gordeeva T.O., Sychev O.A., Sidneva A.N., Pshenichniuk D.V. (2018). Academic Motivation of Elementary School Children in Two Educational Approaches — Innovative and Traditional. Psychology in Russia: State of the Art, vol. 11, No. 4. pp. 22–39.

Gordeeva T.O., Sychev O.A., Shepeleva E.A. (2015). Intelligence, motivation, and coping strategies as factors of schoolchildren’s academic performance. Voprosy Psykhologii, No. 1. pp. 15–26.

Gordeeva T.O., E.N. Osin, N.E. Kuz’menko, D.A. Leont’ev, O.N. Ryzhova (2013). Efficacy of the Academic Competition (Olympiad) System of Admission to Higher Educational Institutions (in Chemistry). Russian Journal of General Chemistry, V. 83. N. 6. pp. 1272–1281. Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.

Gordeeva T.O., Sychev O.A. (2012). Internal sources of persistence and its role in success in learning activity. Psychology of Education, No. 1. pp. 33–48.

Gordeeva Т.О., Osin E.N. (2011). Optimistic attributional style as a predictor of well-being and performance in different academic settings: A new look at the problem. The Human Pursuit of Well-Being: A Cultural Approach. I. Brdar (Ed.). Springer, Dordrecht, London, New York, 2011. pp. 59–174.

Stetsenko, A., Little, T.D., Gordeeva, T.O., Grasshof, M., Oettingen G. (2000). Gender effects in children’s beliefs about school performance: A cross-cultural study. Child Development, V. 71 (2). pp. 517–527.

Kennon Sheldon. University of Missouri, Missouri, Columbia, USA and International Laboratory of Positive Psychology of Personality and Motivation, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia. E-mail: SheldonK@missouri.edu; Web site: http://web.missouri.edu/~sheldonk/https://www.hse.ru/en/org/persons/129022524

Current themes of research:

Goals. Motivation. Psychological well-being.

Most relevant publications in the field of Psychology of Education:

Yang Y., Li W., Sheldon K. M., Kou Y. Chinese adolescents with higher social dominance orientation are less prosocial and less happy: A value-environment fit analysis. International Journal of Psychology, 2018.

Oleg Sychev. Shukshin Altai State University for Humanities and Pedagogy, Department of Psychology of Education, Biysk, Russia, Korolenko str., 43-213, 659333 Biysk, Russia. E-mail: osn2@mail.ru; Web site: http://www.bigpi.biysk.ru/psyfac/viewpage.php?page_id=21

Current themes of research:

Educational systems that promote intrinsic motivation. Development and adaptation of academic motivation scales. Moral development of adolescents. Academic motivation in primary school.

Most relevant publications in the field of Psychology of Education:

Gordeeva T.O., Sychev O.A., Sidneva A.N., Pshenichniuk D.V. (2018). Academic Motivation of Elementary School Children in Two Educational Approaches — Innovative and Traditional. Psychology in Russia: State of the Art, vol. 11, No. 4. pp. 22–39.

Gordeeva T.O., Sychev O.A., Shepeleva E.A. (2015). Intelligence, motivation, and coping strategies as factors of schoolchildren’s academic performance. Voprosy Psykhologii, No. 1. pp. 15–26.

Gordeeva T.O., Sychev O.A. (2012). Internal sources of persistence and its role in success in learning activity. Psychology of Education. No. 1. pp. 33–48.

Gordeeva T.O., Sychev O.A., Ghizhitsky V.V., Gavrichenkova, T.K. (2017). Intrinsic and Extrinsic Academic Motivation Scale for Schoolchildren. Psychological science and education, 2, pp. 57–64.

Gordeeva T.O., Ghizhitsky V.V., Sychev O.A., Gavrichenkova, T.K. (2016). Self-respect motivation and respect by others as factors of academic performance and persistence in learning activity. Psychological Journal, 37, 2, pp. 57–68.

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Gordeeva, T., Sheldon, K. & Sychev, O. Linking academic performance to optimistic attributional style: attributions following positive events matter most. Eur J Psychol Educ 35, 21–48 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-019-00414-y

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