Mark H. Rossman

The Reliability and Construct Validity of the Multidimensional-Multiattributional Causality Scale

The reliability and factorial validity of the Multidimensional-Multiattributional Causality Scale (MMCS) was examined for 350 community college students in a large, urban, multi-campus system. A principal components analysis of the intercorrelation matrix of the 24 item responses indicated seven interpretable factors. The attributions of ability, effort, context, and luck emerged as well as distinctions between attributions related to academic success or failure. Generally, the evidence supported the factorial validity of the MMCS. Several limitations of the scale are noted.

Attributions for Success and Failure Among Anglo, Black, Hispanic, and Native American Community College Students

Summary Low-achieving Anglo, Black, Hispanic, and Native American community college students (N = 399) were administered the Multidimensional-Multiattributional Causality Scale in order to examine attributions of academic success and failure to ability, effort, context, and luck. The four ethnic groups were similar in their attributions of success to external causes (Factor I), and of success to internal causes (Factor II). On Factor III Blacks and Native Americans were similar, as were Anglos and Hispanics.

Attributions for School Achievement of Low-Achieving Indian and Caucasian Community College Students

Attributions for school achievement, achievement motivation, and expectancy of success were examined among 211 Indian and Caucasian community college students enrolled in a remedial reading class. Students were administered the Multidimensional-Multiattributional Causality Scale. Indians attributed their school failure more to lack of effort than did Caucasians. Gender differences did not appear. Attributions of school success correlated positively with achievement motivation for Indians but not for Caucasians. Results suggest the necessity of examining response patterns and not just summated scales when investigating group differences.

Convergent Validity of the Multidimensional-Multiattributional Causality Scale with the Mathematics Attribution Scale

A total of 107 academically talented high school students was administered the Multidimensional-Multiattributional Causality Scale (MMCS) and the Mathematics Attribution Scale (MAS). The MMCS subscales which assessed the attributions of success and failure in school to effort and ability were significantly correlated with the MAS subscales which were purported to assess similar constructs. The correlational findings provided limited support for the convergent validity of these measures.

Reliability of the Boehm Test of Basic Concepts for Hispanic and Nonhispanic Kindergarten Pupils.

The internal consistency reliability of the Boehm Test of Basic Concepts (BTBC) was examined for 40 Hispanic and 40 non Hispanic kindergarten pupils in the Southwest. Subscale and total scale reliabilities appeared to be comparable. This evidence supported the reliability of the BTBC for Hispanic and non Hispanic kindergarten pupils.