Attributional Style and Self-Efficacy in Singaporean Adolescents

This investigation examined the relationship between adolescent students’ attributional style and their perceived academic self-efficacy using the Children's Attributional Style Questionnaire (CASQ) (Seligman et al., 1984) and Multidimensional Scales of Perceived Self Efficacy (Bandura, 1989). Attributional style, defined as the way in which people explain events (Abramson, Seligman, & Teasdale, 1978), is represented by three dimensions: permanence, pervasiveness, and personalisation. Statistically significant differences were observed between attributional style for gender and academic streams. Females were more optimistic and hopeful than males. They attributed permanence to good events, but assumed personal responsibility for bad events. Males displayed a more negative attributional style, perceiving negative events as permanent and pervasive. Higher-ability students reported greater optimism about their future compared to their lower-ability students. No gender and ability differences were found for academic self-efficacy. Students’ attributional style was positively associated with their efficacy for self-regulated learning. Findings were interpreted in terms of educational implications and student empowerment, with suggestions made for future studies.