Peggy Douglas

The Factorial Validity of the Multidimensional-Multiattributional Causality Scale

A total of 74 academically gifted high school students was administered the Multidimensional-Multiattributional Causality Scale (MMCS). A principal components analysis of the intercorrelation matrix of the 24 item responses revealed 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. However, several limitations of the scale are discussed.

A Reliability and Validity Investigation of the Mathematics Attribution Scale.

The Mathematics Attribution Scale-Algebra (MAS) was designed to assess attributions to ability, effort, task, and environment for success and failure in algebra. The present study examined the reliability and-validity of the MAS with high ability high school students. The results of this study present a complicated picture of the psychometric properties of the MAS.

Achievement Motivation and Attributions for Success and Failure

The relationships of attributions for success and failure with achievement motivation were investigated in 110 academically talented high school students. Subjects were administered the Mathematics Attribution Scale and measures of self-esteem, anxiety, and achievement motivation. Attributions of success to effort were correlated .42 with achievement motivation, and attributions of failure to lack of effort were correlated -.22 with achievement motivation. First-order partial correlations between attributions and achievement motivation controlling for self-esteem and anxiety did not differ from the zero-order correlations.

Relationship between Achievement Locus of Control and Expectancy of Success of Academically Gifted High School Students

The achievement locus of control was investigated in 66 academically gifted high school students. Subjects were administered Lefcourts Multidimensional-Multiattributional Causality Scale. Data suggest a pattern of attributions in which effort was ranked higher than ability, context, or luck. Subjects were more internal than external. Stable attributions were not clearly different from unstable attributions. Confidence was correlated .45 with grade expected. Students with greater confidence tended to attribute academic success less to ability (—.34). Expectancy of success was correlated A6 with internality, a dimension of causality, and not with the two dimensions of stability. This supported the social learning theory of the relationship between change in expectancy and causality.

GENERALIZABILITY OF THE MATHEMATICS ATTRIBUTION SCALE NORMS TO ACADEMICALLY TALENTED HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Mean responses of 120 high school students (46 boys, 74 girls) of high ability appeared to differ from the norms in selected attributional processes related to algebra. Reported variances of the Mathematics Attribution Scale were similar to those obtained from academically talented high school students. These findings support the generalizability of some psychometric properties of the scale to other samples, regions, and times.

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.

A Reliability and Validity Investigation of the Multidimensional-Multiattributional Causality Scale

A sample of 76 college students was administered the Multidimensional-Multiattributional Causality Scale (MMCS). Most of the 3-item subscales had adequate reliabilities. A factor analysis of theintercorrelations of responses revealed three pure factors andthree ambiguous factors. These results provide partial support forthe reliability and factorial validity of the MMCS.

The Factorial Validity of the Mathematics Attribution Scale

The Mathematics Attribution Scale (MAS) (Algebra) was designed to assess attributions of success and failure in algebra to ability, effort, task, and environment. The present study examined the MAS (Algebra) for a separate dimension of attributions for success and a dimension of attributions for failure. The two hypothesized dimensions did not emerge.

GENDER DIFFERENCES IN SELECTION OF AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION: A DISCRIMINANT ANALYSIS

The differences between undergraduate mens and womens reasons for selecting an institution of higher education were investigated. A discriminant analysis indicated that academic quality of the institution, parental influence, and financial considerations were the most important variables for discriminating between the 85 men and 128 women.

Attributions for Success and Failure of Academically Gifted High School Students

The 24-item Multidimensional-Multiattributional Causality Scale: Achievement was administered to 74 academically gifted students enrolled in the University of Arizonas Precollege Program for Gifted and Talented Students. Attributions for academic success or failure to ability, effort, context, and luck were examined. Data supported predictions derived from attribution theory that academic success would be attributed to ability and effort, and academic failure would be attributed to lack of effort.