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Attributional Style and the Freshman Writer.

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Title: Attributional Style and the Freshman Writer.
Language: English
Authors: Gordon, Douglas K., Mercier, Judith D.
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 17
Publication Date: 1996
Document Type: Opinion Papers
Speeches/Meeting Papers
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Attitude Measures, Attribution Theory, Depression (Psychology), Freshman Composition, Higher Education, Self Concept, Student Attitudes, Writing Ability, Writing Achievement, Writing Attitudes, Writing Improvement, Writing Research
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Attribution Style Questionnaire
Abstract: Martin Seligman's psychology research on depression, published in 7 books and hundreds of articles, shows a correlation between attributional style and depression. "Explanatory style" is another term nearly synonymous with attributional style, a habitual way to explain, positively or negatively, external events. A "learned" optimist himself, Seligman believed that habits of explanation can change: ergo, his book purports to teach the failure-prone human to change rhetorical styles. A study explored the extent to which students' attributional style determines their performance in freshman composition. The study began with a sampling of 80 students but through attrition lost about 35%. An Attributional Style Questionnaire was given to the students at the beginning of the course, as well as a writing test at the beginning and again at the end of the course. The majority of students in the sample had higher-range hopefulness scores. Whereas 38% of those students with lower-range hopefulness scores showed writing improvement, 58% of the students with higher-range hopefulness scores demonstrated increased ability in their writing performance. Although these results are not statistically significant, they are in a predicted direction. In other words, students with higher hopefulness scores are likely to show improved writing ability. These results may warrant further research even though they are not conclusive in themselves. (Contains four tables of data.) (TB)
Entry Date: 1996
Accession Number: ED397444
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
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  – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED397444
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  Data: Attributional Style and the Freshman Writer.
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  Data: N
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  Data: 17
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  Label: Publication Date
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  Data: 1996
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  Data: Opinion Papers<br />Speeches/Meeting Papers<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Attitude+Measures%22">Attitude Measures</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Attribution+Theory%22">Attribution Theory</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Depression+%28Psychology%29%22">Depression (Psychology)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Freshman+Composition%22">Freshman Composition</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self+Concept%22">Self Concept</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Attitudes%22">Student Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Writing+Ability%22">Writing Ability</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Writing+Achievement%22">Writing Achievement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Writing+Attitudes%22">Writing Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Writing+Improvement%22">Writing Improvement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Writing+Research%22">Writing Research</searchLink>
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  Data: Martin Seligman's psychology research on depression, published in 7 books and hundreds of articles, shows a correlation between attributional style and depression. "Explanatory style" is another term nearly synonymous with attributional style, a habitual way to explain, positively or negatively, external events. A "learned" optimist himself, Seligman believed that habits of explanation can change: ergo, his book purports to teach the failure-prone human to change rhetorical styles. A study explored the extent to which students' attributional style determines their performance in freshman composition. The study began with a sampling of 80 students but through attrition lost about 35%. An Attributional Style Questionnaire was given to the students at the beginning of the course, as well as a writing test at the beginning and again at the end of the course. The majority of students in the sample had higher-range hopefulness scores. Whereas 38% of those students with lower-range hopefulness scores showed writing improvement, 58% of the students with higher-range hopefulness scores demonstrated increased ability in their writing performance. Although these results are not statistically significant, they are in a predicted direction. In other words, students with higher hopefulness scores are likely to show improved writing ability. These results may warrant further research even though they are not conclusive in themselves. (Contains four tables of data.) (TB)
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  Data: 1996
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  Data: ED397444
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 17
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Attitude Measures
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Attribution Theory
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Depression (Psychology)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Freshman Composition
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Higher Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Self Concept
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Writing Ability
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Writing Achievement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Writing Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Writing Improvement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Writing Research
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Attribution Style Questionnaire
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Attributional Style and the Freshman Writer.
        Type: main
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            NameFull: Gordon, Douglas K.
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            NameFull: Mercier, Judith D.
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          Dates:
            – D: 28
              M: 03
              Type: published
              Y: 1996
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